Uproar in J&K Assembly as NC MLA seeks talks with Pakistan

An uproar erupted in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday over the statement of senior National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar, seeking resumption of talks with Pakistan.

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Sagar's statement sparked a spar as the Leader of Opposition, BJP MLA Sunil Kumar Sharma said, "terrorism and talks cannot go together”.

The NC leader accused the BJP of having ties with a banned organisation. In response, Sharma countered Sagar's question by asking how Dr Farooq Abdullah used to attend their events.

BJP leader Sunil Kumar Sharma further stated that if the NC has made the most sacrifices, why do they keep reiterating the demand for talks with Pakistan every time?

"It has become part of their DNA to insist on dialogue with Pakistan," Sharma said.

Another NC MLA asked a question regarding drug abuse and drug trafficking in the union territory.

NC MLA Mubarak Gul asked if it is a fact that drug addiction and trafficking have increased manifold during the last few years. "If so, what are the steps taken to eradicate the drug menace?" he asked.

In its reply, the UT government said, “It is a fact that there was an alarming increase of drug addiction among youth in J&K. But with the initiation of Nasha Mukht Abhiyan since September 2022, the record shows that the registration of cases had shown a slight decreasing trend. Further, there was no evidence of an increase in drug addiction cases. The registration of drug addiction cases has shown a decreasing trend during the last three years."

“This downward trend shows some level of improvement in control or better detection of drug abuse cases during this period. The inpatient drug (IPD) addiction cases have increased significantly during the last three years despite a decrease in the overall registered cases. This potential increase could be attributed to the expansion of IPD services in de-addiction centres in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to more admissions and better inpatient care,” the government said.