MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid was ordered to be taken out of Jammu and Kashmir assembly.
A staff of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly today fell unconscious during a scuffle between his colleagues and opposition legislators after the speaker issued orders for marshalling out independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid from the house. While the assembly was discussing a resolution moved by the government for implementing Goods and Services Tax or GST in the state, Mr Rashid interrupted the proceedings.
Then Peoples' Democratic Party or PDP legislator Javid Hassan Beig confronted Mr Rashid. "We wave a weak speaker who is allowing you [Mr Rashid] to do this," the PDP MLA said. The opposition National Conference or NC and Congress lawmakers accused Mr Beig of insulting the chair.
BJP members then told Mr Rashid to apologise for saying Jammu and Kashmir is a "disputed territory pending a resolution". A BJP lawmaker said Mr Rashid should remember he was attacked in the house in 2015 for hosting a "beef party".
NC legislators, supporting Mr Rashid, told the BJP MLAs they cannot "touch" the legislator from Langate town in Kupwara district, 66 kilometres from Srinagar. Speaker Kavinder Gupta, sensing the situation might get out of hand, told the assembly guard to escort out Mr Rashid from the house.
However, the NC lawmakers including Altaf Wani, Abdul Majeed Bhat and Mohammad Akbar Lone prevented the assembly staff from removing Mr Rashid, prompting the speaker to adjourn the house till 2:30 pm.
As the lawmakers were leaving, one of the assembly staff fell unconscious. He was taken to a clinic on the assembly premises.