Foes turn friends during Assembly session

Just a month ago they were bitter foes, up against each other, trading barbs and levelling accusations. However, the acrimony didn’t last long. This week’s first session of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly saw a group of non-BJP opposition legislators coming together for a “common cause,” forgetting their rivalry, which had intensified during the campaign for Assembly elections.

During the five-day Assembly session, six legislators from Kashmir– three of PDP, People’s Conference’s Sajad Lone, Langate MLA Sheikh Khursheed (brother of AIP chief Engineer Rashid) and Independent MLA Shabir Kullay came out to support each other defying their political rivalry.

During the Assembly polls campaign, all these parties were trading barbs against each other. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had accused Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) of being a proxy of the BJP- a charge denied by Rashid.

Not only this, the political rivalry between Sajad Lone and Awami Ittehad Party was more severe. During campaigning, Sajad had alleged that Rashid was not in jail for over two months. On October 8, Rashid’s son Abrar Rashid had called Lone a “BJP puppet” on X and alleged that Lone had asked his workers to attack AIP supporters in Handwara.

The animosity, however, didn’t last long. During the Assembly session, these legislators were seen supporting each other.

On the first day of the session, when PDP’s Waheed Para proposed a resolution about special status and it was immediately opposed by BJP, it was Sajad Lone got up from his seat and extended support to Para.

Next day, when Sheikh Khursheed displayed a banner in the Assembly seeking restoration of Article 370 and 35A and infuriated BJP members snatched the banner, it was Sajad Lone who tried to stop the BJP members, triggering a scuffle. Waheed Para too joined Lone.

On Friday morning, when PDP MLA Fayaz Mir tried to display a banner seeking restoration of Article 370 and the BJP lawmakers again tried to snatch the banner from Mir, it was Sheikh Khursheed who rushed into the well to support Fayaz Mir. The marshals, however, swung into action and forcibly evicted Khursheed out of the House.

The group on Thursday together submitted a resolution in the Assembly demanding immediate restoration of Articles 370 and 35A in their original form.

Shopian MLA Shabir Kullay said they supported each other for a “common cause.”

“On the first day, we all decided to bring a resolution about the special status because this was our core issue and we all were on the same page,” he said.

AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi echoed Kullay. “Party president Engineer Rashid, who is in jail, has been always saying that our party will support everyone whosoever raises the issue of people. So, when it comes to the issues of people, we are one,” he said.

“Whosoever will talk about the aspirations of people, inside or outside the Assembly, you will find us extending the support,” he said, adding, that the “group of six legislators found commonality and supported each other.”