Ruckus in Assembly over Waqf Bill

Jammu, Apr 7: The Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed repeated disruptions on Monday after the Speaker disallowed an adjournment motion brought by legislators from the ruling NC-led alliance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill- 2025. The chaos led to two adjournments before the Speaker eventually adjourned the House for the day.
As soon as proceedings of the House began Monday morning, MLAs from the ruling alliance stood up, demanding that adjournment motion brought by them on Waqf Bill should be allowed.
“There should be a discussion on the Waqf bill in the Assembly of Muslim-majority state of Jammu & Kashmir. When farm laws and NRC were discussed in assemblies of different states, why couldn’t we discuss the Waqf bill? It directly affects us,” NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq demanded.
He asked the Speaker to adjourn the House for discussion on the issue.
“This is a matter of faith and religion, and there is no issue more urgent than this. Will you adjourn the House to address this critical concern?” he asked the Speaker.
As NC legislators continued with their demand for a discussion on the law, BJP MLAs stood up in protest, opposing the motion.
Amid commotion in the House, the Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said that he has received an adjournment motion from nine MLAs for adjourning business of the House for discussing the Waqf law.
“I have examined Rules regarding adjournment motion,” he said, adding that sub-rule VII of Rule 58 doesn’t allow discussion on a matter which is under adjudication in the competent court of law.
He said the Waqf (amendment) Bill- 2025 has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Amid protests, PDP’s Waheed Para asked the Speaker why the law cannot be discussed in the Assembly when resolutions disapproving it were passed in assemblies of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
“The resolution was passed in the Tamil Nadu assembly before it became sub-judice,” the Speaker responded to him.
Citing the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in J&K Assembly, the Speaker pronounced that he has disallowed the motion.
The Speaker’s ruling sparked protests from National Conference, Congress, and PDP legislators in the House, while BJP legislators welcomed it by thumping their benches.
Shouting slogans” Waqf Bill Na Manzoor” (Waqf Bill is unacceptable), “Kalaa Kanoon Na Manzoor”(draconian law is unacceptable”, the legislators from treasury benches tried to storm into the well, but were prevented by the Marshals from entering into it.
Amid continuous protests by legislators of NC-led alliance and BJP, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
This was for the first time during ongoing budget session that the Speaker adjourned the House.
As the House re-convened after 15 minutes, the legislators from NC and Congress rushed into the well and staged protests there.
PDP MLAs, PC president Sajad Gani Lone were also on their feet demanding discussion on the matter.
While some NC legislators tore question papers and threw them in air, a few of them tore black waistcoat of Majid Larmi and held its pieces as a mark of protest against the law.
Amid protests in the House, NC’s Nazir Gurezi said that they will not allow House to function if discussion on the issue is not allowed.
“We are ready to sacrifice anything for it. This is our religious issue,” he said.
With MLAs from ruling alliance and BJP shouting slogans against each other, the Speaker adjourned the House for 20 minutes.
As the House re- convened for the third time, the ruling alliance MLAs and BJP stood up, raising slogans.
While BJP MLAs raised slogans, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’, MLAs from NC- Congress alliance raised chants of “Allah-u- Akbar”.
Amid the continued disruptions, Congress MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone moved towards the opposition benches.
BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa tried to snatch posters from Irfan which bore slogans against the Waqf bill. However, before they could exchange blows, the Marshals separated them.
Later, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings of the House for the day.