Jammu, February 3, 2026 : The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Tuesday as opposition BJP legislators raised strong demands for the establishment of a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu, while members from the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) highlighted alleged incidents of harassment against Kashmiris outside the Union Territory.
The uproar began soon after the House assembled, with BJP MLA Surjit Singh Slathia flagging the ongoing protests by Jammu University students demanding an NLU in the region. “We are not opposed to an NLU in Kashmir, but Jammu also deserves a National Law University to address the aspirations of students here,” Slathia said.
As he spoke, several BJP MLAs stood up, displayed placards and raised slogans such as “NLU for Jammu,” disrupting the proceedings. Despite repeated appeals for order, the sloganeering continued, prompting Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to intervene.
Congress MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat objected to the display of placards, reminding the House that the Business Advisory Committee had agreed to maintain decorum. He said the establishment of an NLU in Kashmir followed due procedure and accused BJP members of violating Assembly norms. “Displaying placards inside the House amounts to intrusion and encroachment of decorum,” he said.
Amid the chaos, NC legislators raised concerns over alleged harassment of Kashmiri students, traders and workers in different parts of the country. PDP MLA Wahid Ur Rehman Para informed the Speaker that he had submitted an adjournment motion seeking discussion on what he termed as growing incidents of “hate crimes” against Kashmiris.
NC MLA Mubarak Gul alleged that Kashmiris were facing assaults and intimidation outside the Union Territory, while Saifullah Mir claimed that several Kashmiris were confined to their accommodations and attacked if they ventured out, calling for immediate government intervention.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, however, rejected the adjournment motion and allowed the Question Hour to continue. He said such issues could be taken up through other parliamentary procedures without disrupting Question Hour, which is meant to hold the government accountable.
The Speaker added that the Jammu and Kashmir government has already taken up the issue of harassment of Kashmiris with various state governments and appreciated the Uttarakhand Chief Minister for taking prompt action in a recent incident.
Despite repeated appeals from the Chair, the House remained tense for a considerable period before normal proceedings resumed.
