By Devika Bedi

National Conference Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Sonawari Mr Mohammed Lone in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) raised pro-Pakistan slogans during the assembly session on 10th February. He justifies it by terming it as a reactionary measure to BJP’s anti-Pakistan slogans.

Bureaucratic battlefield

In the chronological developments of the day, militants carried out a pre-dawn attack in the army camp in Sujwan area of Jammu. The House thereafter reported of the death of army personnel in the attacks. Five army personnel (including two Junior Commissioned Officers) were killed in the attack. After Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravinder Raina visited the camp in the morning, he came back to raise anti-Pakistan slogans in the assembly. Even as speaker Kavinder Gupta cited Rohingya Muslims involved in the attack, the House became a bureaucratic battlefield over the two-nation concept. Lone went on to accuse BJP as well as the Speaker’s remarks blaming Rohingya Muslims or the refugees as the opinion was made in haste.

“Have been raising the issue of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas living in surrounding areas of Jammu illegally. They are increasing, if not stopped they’ll act as militant organisations’ shelters and this may also be connected to them…” said BJP MLC Vikram Randhawa. Calling the terror attack “unfortunate“, Lone added, “Just because militants are Muslims you can’t raise anti-Pakistan slogans.”

Two wrongs cannot make a right

Soon after the House was adjourned at 10:30 am, National Conference leaders condemned their spokesperson Lone’s sloganeering. Party spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted, “Just spoke to chief NC Farooq Abdullah sahib. Dr Sahib and the entire party is of the unequivocal stand that NC MLA from Sonwari Akbar Lone had spoken out of turn and his slogans in the assembly were completely unacceptable to the party.” Omar Abdullah also tweeted that the leaders must focus on the attack-laden crisis situation in the state without getting distracted. “The party disowns and condemns his remarks,” said party spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu.

In what comes as an impatient show of emotions from both the sides, the investigation is still not complete, while we are losing soldiers rapidly. The BJP, as well as the opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir, must practice patience more than anything else. In a state so sensitive and danger-ridden, civilians must be given highest priority. Their hope in the stable and sensible legislature must not be eroded.

Featured Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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