House Adjourned Amid Protests by NC, Congress, and PDP Legislators
Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD) Chaos erupted in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday after Speaker of the House refused to allow a discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, stating that the matter is currently sub-judice.
The Speaker informed the House that the bill has been challenged in the Supreme Court, and therefore, any debate or deliberation on the matter would be inappropriate at this stage.
The decision triggered sharp protests from opposition benches, with National Conference (NC) legislator Tanvir Sadiq leading the charge. He argued that if the Goods and Services Tax (GST) law, introduced by the Centre, could be debated in the J&K Assembly, there was no valid reason to prevent discussion on the Waqf Bill.
Sadiq’s remarks received strong backing from legislators of the Congress and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who raised slogans and attempted to storm the Well of the House. Marshals quickly intervened to prevent the protesting lawmakers from reaching the Speaker’s chair.
As the commotion intensified, the Speaker was forced to adjourn the session for 15 minutes—marking the first such disruption in the ongoing budget session.
The incident underscores the deepening tensions between the government and the opposition over sensitive legislative matters, with the Waqf Bill becoming a flashpoint for broader concerns around religious and community rights.
Further developments on whether the bill will be revisited later in the session remain to be seen(DD)
