Uproar in JK Assembly over assault on Kashmiri students in Haryana

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today witnessed noisy scenes over an alleged assault on two Kashmiri students in Haryana, with several opposition members staging a walkout during the zero hours, accusing the government of failing to check such incidents.

The state government assured the House that the matter has been taken up with Haryana and three persons have been arrested in the case.

The opposition members also questioned why the government had called an all-party meeting to discuss upcoming panchayat elections when it has already taken all decisions in this regard.

After the house assembled, BJP state president Sat Sharma drew the attention of the house to the death of three Army personnel in an avalanche in Gurez sector of Bandipora district in north Kashmir and the force rescuing a civilian patient despite adverse weather condition yesterday.

"The opposition should also acknowledge and praise the sacrifice and the rescue effort of the Army... They only consider it their duty to criticise the forces," he said amid thumping of desks by the BJP legislators.

Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, during the question hour, said the Indian Air Force and the Army were doing a great service to the nation which is praiseworthy.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister A R Veeri intervened to make a statement before the start of the question hour, assuring the house that the government was serious on both the issues raised by the opposition.

"As far as Haryana incident is concerned, an FIR has already been lodged by (Haryana police). Two students were attacked by some miscreants (yesterday), resulting in minor injuries to one of them.

"On the directions of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Principal Secretary (Home) talked to his counterpart. Besides the state, DGP S P Vaid contacted the DGP of Haryana. So far three persons have been arrested in connection with the assault," he said.

After National Conference MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar questioned the logic behind holding an all-party meeting over panchayat elections "when everything has been decided", Veeri said, "we are serious about the meeting which is being chaired by the chief minister herself.

"It is the decision of the cabinet and the outcome of the all-party meet will be discussed at the cabinet and its decision will be final," he said.

The question hour passed off peacefully barring a walkout by BJP legislator Choudhary Sukhnadan over "non-satisfactory" answer to his question related to farmers.

However, the zero hours saw opposition members vociferously raising the incidents of attacks on Kashmiri students in others states.

Congress MLA G M Saroori claimed that a youth from Kishtwar was killed outside the state and demanded a statement from the government.

NC MLA Altaf Kaloo also read out a purported SMS from a student in which he alleged that they were attacked outside the state. NC members and several Congress legislators later staged a walkout to protest against what they called the government's failure to stop such attacks.

While leaving the house, Kaloo pointed towards ruling PDP legislators and said, You too are Kashmiris.

PDP MLA Mohammad Ashraf Mir said I am Kashmiri first, then Indian".

Later talking to reporters, Sagar said the attack on students outside the state is leading to alienation which is very dangerous.

"An impression goes especially in the Valley that we are not safe and secure which is a wrong signal," he said and demanded stern action against the "fringe elements" involved in such attacks.

He said that such persons cannot be friends of the country and are enemies of the nation.

"Everyone is free to go anywhere in any college or university and if he is restricted in the name of religion, region or state, that is not a good thing, the MLA said.