Uproar in J&K Assembly as BJP’s Vikram Randhawa Clarifies Remarks on JDA Encroachments

JAMMU, February 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed heated scenes on Tuesday as members of the Congress and an Independent legislator staged a protest over remarks made earlier by BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa regarding alleged encroachments on land belonging to the Jammu Development Authority in his Bahu constituency.

The disruption occurred shortly after the conclusion of Question Hour and continued for nearly half an hour. Congress MLAs Irfan Hafiz Lone and Iftikhar Ahmad, along with Independent MLA Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad, raised slogans and displayed placards inside the House, demanding an apology from Randhawa for his February 13 statement. In his earlier remarks, Randhawa had reportedly claimed that 90 percent of those encroaching upon 688 kanals of JDA land in his constituency were from Kashmir.

As proceedings resumed after a three day break, Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad attempted to raise the issue at the outset. However, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather asked him to take his seat and began the session with obituary references. The House paid tributes to former minister Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah and former MLC Brij Mohan Sharma, who passed away on February 13 and February 16 respectively. Members observed a two minute silence in their memory.

While Question Hour passed without interruption, the matter resurfaced soon after, with the protesting legislators standing up, holding placards and chanting slogans including “Chor Machaaye Shor.” The agitating members alleged that Randhawa’s statement was not only objectionable but also defamatory towards a particular community. They further claimed that the BJP legislator himself had allegedly encroached upon JDA land and therefore had no moral authority to make such allegations.

Members from the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party expressed support for the protesting legislators, leading to a tense exchange between Randhawa and opposition members. Amid the commotion, Randhawa attempted to explain his position, while the Speaker repeatedly appealed for order and decorum.

The situation escalated when the protesting MLAs moved towards the front rows and attempted to enter the Well of the House. Assembly marshals intervened and prevented them from advancing further. The Speaker continued to urge members to maintain discipline and allow the House to function smoothly.

The impasse eased after the intervention of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and senior BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma. Following consultations, Randhawa addressed the House and clarified that his comments were not intended to target any community as a whole. He stated that his concern was limited to specific individuals allegedly involved in land encroachment within his constituency.

“If it is established that my words have been interpreted as opposing or insulting any particular community, I am prepared to withdraw them,” Randhawa said.

Taking note of the clarification, the Speaker observed that the member had clarified his intent and assured the House that appropriate action would be taken if any remarks were found to be unparliamentary. He indicated that such words could be expunged from the official records in accordance with Assembly rules.