The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was adjourned for half an hour as pandemonium broke out in the House soon after the budget session resumed on Friday, following a gap of over five weeks.
As soon as the House assembled in the morning, members from both the treasury and opposition benches stood up, raising slogans and disrupting the Question Hour despite repeated appeals by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
MLAs of the ruling National Conference, joined by the Congress, CPI(M), Independents, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), raised slogans against Israel to condemn the alleged assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, opposition BJP members held placards demanding the establishment of a national law university in Jammu.
While BJP members shouted slogans against alleged discrimination against the Jammu region, other members raised slogans against the US and Israel, accusing them of pushing the world towards war.
NC and PDP members were also seen carrying posters of Iran's leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Most members, except ministers and senior MLAs, indulged in sloganeering, prompting Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to adjourn the House for half an hour.
Earlier, National Conference (NC) members, led by Tanvir Sadiq, staged a protest outside the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly expressing solidarity with Iran amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
Speaking to the media, Tanvir Sadiq said, "We stand in solidarity with Iran. The entire National Conference and the J&K government stand together. Just as Omar Abdullah had earlier condemned the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, we are here today united. I have given a call for attention and moved an adjournment motion."
"We believe no country has the right to attack another, and the killing of a religious leader in such a manner is condemnable. The top leadership of the country should also condemn it," he added.
CM Omar condemns the US-Israel war on Iran.
Later, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly condemned the ongoing war on Iran and urged the central government to leverage India's diplomatic ties to facilitate de-escalation and restore peace.
Speaking in the Assembly, Omar Abdullah described the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and others during the conflict as unacceptable. He expressed deep concern over civilian casualties, particularly children, stating that such violence cannot be justified under any circumstances.
The chief minister questioned the stated objectives of the war, noting a lack of clarity and citing inconsistent explanations provided by US leadership. Highlighting the direct impact on residents of Jammu and Kashmir, he pointed out that several individuals were stranded in Iran, and local concerns were evident from long queues at petrol stations.
Omar Abdullah called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use India's relations with the US, Israel, and Iran to push for an immediate end to hostilities, stressing that the conflict must be addressed from a humanitarian perspective to prevent further loss of life.
