Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Monday adjourned the House twice as National Conference MLAs created uproar while demanding discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill-2025.
The Speaker, however, said the matter was sub-judice.
Legislators stood up to demand a discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill-2025 passed by Parliament as soon as the House proceedings started on Monday morning after an interval of twelve days.
Shouting anti-BJP slogans, the ruling party MLAs said, "If the GST law brought by the Centre was discussed in the J&K Assembly, why the Waqf Bill in the Muslim-majority "state" of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be discussed."
Citing Sub-Rule (7) of Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House, the Speaker, said the matter has become sub-judice, as it has been challenged in the highest court of the country, and disallowed an adjournment motion moved by AIP legislators and Sheikh Khursheed.
As the NC MLAs continued protesting in the well of the House, tore papers, waved black badges, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
Later, when the House proceedings resumed, the NC MLAs continued staging protests amidst anti-BJP shouts.
Shouting slogans” Waqf Bill Na Manzoor", "Kala Kanoon Wapis Lo", "BJP hai-hai", the NC legislators from treasury benches tried to enter into the well, but were prevented by marshals from reaching the podium.
In reaction, the BJP legislators also shouted "NC-Congress hai-hai", "desh vidrohi agenda nahi chalega", slogans.
Speaker J&K Legislative Assembly tried to settle the protesting NC MLAs down and also directed them to return to their seats.
"We only want discussion on the Waqf Bill, which is an attack on our religion," Nazir Gurezi, a NC MLA, said.
As the uproar refused to subside, the Speaker adjourned the House for a second time for 20 minutes.
This was the first time that the Speaker had to adjourn the House during the ongoing budget session.