The principal Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday caused pandemonium in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, even as one of its MLAs suffered a fracture in a scuffle with the watch and ward staff.
Tral Mushtaq Ahmed Shah became unconscious and was rushed to hospital when he hit himself against furniture in the well, when the PDP legislators scuffled with the watch and ward staff, who prevented over a dozen MLAs from advancing towards the Speaker. Mr. Shah was admitted to an associated hospital of the Government Medical College here.
Speaker Mubarak Gul adjourned the proceedings four times in the first two hours as the PDP members did not relent on their demand for creation of more administrative units. Party president Mehbooba Mufti said the ruling National Conference had played “cheap politics” over the process.
“We had been demanding new administrative units from day one of this government. The coalition [of the National Conference and the Congress] did it, keeping the Opposition in the dark. This shows the coalition had an eye on the vote,” Ms. Mufti said. She appreciated the creation of 650 new units, but said that certain key areas had been left unattended.
Earlier, watching the pandemonium on the LCD in his office, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted: “Want to see shameful behaviour of elected representatives (?)-check out the opposition in the J&K assembly standing on tables. Seems they really are totally shaken up by our decision to create so many new administrative units which has been well received.”
The PDP MLAs demolished chairs and tables and tore documents.
Later, Mr. Gul told journalists that the damage would be recovered from the salaries of the “unruly” MLAs.
