Furniture flies in J&K Assembly as PDP members 'throw chairs' and CM Omar slams 'shameful behaviour'



Ruckus was the order of the day in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday with the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing the Omar Abdullah government of excluding PDP strongholds while creating new administrative units.



As PDP members rushed to the Well, flung chairs and raised anti-government slogans, Assembly marshals had to be called in.



PDP legislator Mushtaq Ahmad Shah was pulled out from his chair by the marshals who forcibly dragged him out of the House.



Marshals and security men stop PDP MLAs who were trying to disrupt the proceedings in the J&K assembly in Jammu on Tuesday

The injured legislator was later rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu for treatment.



The PDP has been up in arms ever since the National Conference-Congress coalition government decided to create 659 new administrative units in the state early this month.



While the Congress was reportedly opposed to the idea, Chief Minister Abdullah had threatened to pull out of the coalition if a decision on it was not reached and report not tabled. This forced the Congress to fall in line.



However, the PDP dubbed the decision "populist", alleging that it was aimed at benefiting the ruling alliance.



The brewing trouble reached a crescendo on Tuesday during the Assembly session in Jammu, with heated exchanges between the ruling and Opposition legislators.

Leading the Opposition charge PDP president Mehbooba Mufti alleged: "At the fag-end of its tenure this regime has created chaos in the state by pitching one area against the other."



She found support in independent MLA Engineer Rashid who shouted at NC members, saying: "People of Kashmir voted for you, but your party National Conference is stabbing Kashmiris in their back."



A heated exchange ensued between Rashid and the Minister for Higher Education Muhammad Akbar Lone. The pandemonium forced the Speaker, Mubarak Gul, to adjourn the House.



The CM, who was not in the House, took the Twitter route to express his displeasure.



"Want to see shameful behaviour of elected representatives - check out the Opposition in the J&K Assembly standing on tables," Abdullah tweeted.

