J&K: BJP walks out amid uproar in Assembly over Abdullah remarks

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed noisy scenes for a second straight day on Wednesday, 11 February as BJP legislators demanded an apology from chief minister Omar Abdullah over remarks they described as “unparliamentary”, eventually staging a walkout when their demand went unmet.

The confrontation traces back to exchanges earlier in the week during a debate in which Abdullah — responding to interruptions from opposition benches — made sharp remarks directed at BJP members, including a Hindi phrase interpreted by the party as suggesting they had been politically “hit with shoes”. BJP legislators said the comment was insulting and violated parliamentary decorum, triggering immediate protests and calls for an unconditional apology.

The exchange occurred as Abdullah was speaking on policy concerns, including potential regional implications of the interim India–US trade arrangement. He warned that sectors central to Jammu and Kashmir’s economy — particularly horticulture and dry fruit producers — could face increased competition if market openings were not carefully calibrated, arguing that local livelihoods needed safeguarding in the face of global trade shifts. His intervention was interrupted repeatedly, setting the stage for the heated verbal clash that followed.

Addressing reporters after the initial uproar, Abdullah refused to concede to the BJP’s demand while indicating he had been prepared to moderate his language. “Had they allowed me to speak, I would have withdrawn my words myself… I was ready to withdraw them and say the same thing in a different manner,” he said.

He added that events inside the chamber had since hardened his position: “There is no question of offering an apology now. What has been said is already on record… since they did not allow me to speak, there is no question of apologising.”

When the House assembled on Wednesday, BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma raised the issue again at the outset, insisting that the leader of the House apologise or, in his absence, that Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather issue a statement addressing the controversy.

Rather attempted to defuse the situation, urging members to allow the question hour to proceed and to revisit the matter when the chief minister was present. The appeal failed to restore order as BJP legislators persisted with their demand.

Amid the exchanges, health minister Sakeena Itoo countered by accusing opposition members of themselves using objectionable language, particularly in remarks directed at deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary.

Choudhary proposed that the chair review all expressions deemed unparliamentary from both sides and expunge them from the official record so that proceedings could continue without disruption.

Leader of the opposition Sunil Sharma rejected the suggestion, maintaining that the issue required an apology rather than procedural correction. He later led BJP members out of the chamber, raising slogans including “derogatory sarkar hai hai” and “unparliamentary sarkar hai hai”, alongside chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.

Abdullah questioned the grounds for the opposition’s insistence on contrition, alleging that some of his critics had themselves shown disregard for institutional norms on earlier occasions. The continued disruptions underscored the intensifying friction between the ruling National Conference benches and the BJP, with the dispute over language and decorum emerging as the latest flashpoint in a charged legislative session.

With PTI inputs