Jammu, Feb 3: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was thrown into uproar on Tuesday as opposition BJP members demanded the establishment of a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu, while National Conference (NC) and PDP legislators highlighted incidents of alleged harassment of Kashmiris outside the Union Territory.
BJP MLA Surjit Singh Slathia raised the issue on behalf of Jammu University students protesting for the law university. “We support NLU for Kashmir, but Jammu also deserves one to meet student aspirations,” he said. Other BJP members joined him in the protest, displaying placards and shouting slogans like “NLU for Jammu.”
Congress MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat objected to the protest, citing the recent Business Advisory Committee decision to maintain House decorum. “Displaying placards disrupts proceedings. The government granted NLU for Kashmir following proper procedure,” he stated.
Amid the commotion, NC MLA Mubarak Gul drew attention to harassment faced by Kashmiri students and traders in other states. PDP MLA Wahid Ur Rehman Para had moved an adjournment motion to discuss these incidents of “hate crime,” which Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather rejected, emphasizing that such issues could be addressed without disrupting Question Hour.
NC MLA Saifullah Mir added that dozens of Kashmiris living outside the UT face restrictions and assaults, urging government intervention. The Speaker reminded members that the J&K administration had engaged with state governments to address such harassment, acknowledging Uttarakhand’s prompt action in a recent case.
The Question Hour continued despite the heated exchanges, with the Speaker repeatedly calling for decorum while ensuring members’ concerns were recorded.