The Kashmir Dialogues
Jammu, Mar 17: The Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes on Monday as legislators protested against police action on demonstrators in Kulgam, following the deaths of two tribal youth in South Kashmir.
As soon as the Question Hour commenced, MLA Surankote Choudhary Muhammad Akram demanded strict action against police personnel accused of assaulting a protesting woman.
“It is a serious matter that a police officer kicked a lady. This House must condemn it,” Akram asserted.
Legislators from NC, Congress, and PDP joined the protest, demanding accountability. NC’s Nazir Gurezi questioned, “Is this a police state? Can the police arrest or shoot anyone without consequence?”
The uproar intensified as NC legislators Javed Choudhary, Mian Mehar Ali, Javaid Mirchal, and Zaffar Ali Khatan attempted to storm the well of the House but were restrained by marshals.
Amid the protests, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather informed the House that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had assured the legislators that he would personally address the matter.
The controversy erupted after the bodies of two tribal youth, who had gone missing on February 13, were found in Kulgam, sparking allegations of torture and demands for a judicial probe. —
