The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned for three hours on Wednesday following unrelenting chaos in the House over the Waqf Act, marking the third consecutive day of disruption. Lawmakers from both the ruling National Conference (NC) and Opposition BJP clashed over the Speaker’s repeated refusal to allow a discussion on the controversial Act.
The disruption came on the final day of the Budget Session, which began on March 3. Speaker Abdul Rahim Lather once again disallowed the adjournment motion that had been originally moved by NC members and their alliance partners earlier this week. The motion sought immediate discussion on the administration and reforms under the Waqf Act — a sensitive and politically charged issue in the region.
As the House convened in the morning, NC legislators stormed the Well, demanding the matter be taken up. In a dramatic move, Opposition BJP MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, joined the protest, also entering the Well and raising slogans. The confrontation escalated into a sit-in protest, with legislators from both sides accusing each other of politicizing religious institutions for vote-bank politics.
Amid the commotion, the Speaker adjourned the session till 1 PM, unable to maintain order. This marks the third straight day the Assembly has failed to function due to uproar over the Waqf issue — a matter now threatening to dominate the region’s political discourse beyond the walls of the legislature.
