SRINAGAR: The Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed uproar over remarks made by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma, who referred to the July 13 martyrs as “traitors.”
During the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s address, Peoples Democratic Party leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, demanded the restoration of the July 13 Martyrs’ Day holiday. As Parra concluded his speech, Sunil Sharma stood up and objected to the demand.
“They were not martyrs but traitors,” Sharma said, prompting strong protests from the Treasury benches and Kashmir-based opposition parties. The leaders called for the remarks to be expunged from the House records.
“These remarks were humiliating and divisive and should be withdrawn or expunged from the records,” demanded MLA Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat. Amid continuous slogan shouting between the Treasury benches and BJP members, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather announced that the remarks had been expunged from the House records.
In protest against the Speaker’s decision, all BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the House.
Later, Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Gani Lone demanded that the Assembly pass a resolution for the restoration of holidays on Martyrs’ Day and the birthday of NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. —(KNO)
