Jammu, Feb 17: A day after his remarks against Kashmiris triggered a political storm, BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa on Tuesday offered to withdraw his statement—provided the Assembly records confirm he made them. The conditional climbdown, however, failed to pacify the opposition, which continued to stall the proceedings and demand an unconditional apology.
According to Kashmir Convener, the Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Tuesday morning, with Congress legislators Irfan Hafiz Lone and Iftikhar Ahmad, supported by the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), displaying placards and raising slogans against MLA Randhawa. As the protests forced multiple adjournments, Randhawa rose to defend himself.
“If I have made such remarks, I will take them back,” he said, offering to retract the comments pending a verification of the official record.
The clarification did little to mollify the opposition. Speaking to Kashmir Convener outside the Assembly, MLA Lone rejected the conditional statement and accused the BJP of engaging in a “policy of hatred.”
“The hallmark of the BJP is that they are very good at lying. They make a lot of noise. They have given an impression that Kashmiris are encroachers and land grabbers. We condemn this,” MLA Lone said.
MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone also questioned the integrity of the BJP party’s leaders, alleging they had amassed assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. “If anyone has committed corruption, you should investigate them,” he said, reiterating the demand for the restoration of statehood and terming the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, as an “injustice.”
Amid the uproar, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened, assuring the House that the matter would be examined.
Speaker as per Kashmir Convener stated he would check the records and expunge the remarks if it was found that Randhawa had indeed made them.
Earlier, MLA Sheikh Khurshid drew the attention of the Chair towards MLA Randhawa’s remarks.
NC MLA Salman Sagar countered also, stating, “We don’t need a lecture but an apology from MLA Randhawa.”
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary stepped in to steer the discourse, questioning the selective focus on land encroachment. “Why should we talk about JDA land and not state and forest land? That land has also been encroached and should be discussed as well,” Choudhary said.
Addressing the core of the controversy, the Deputy CM added, “The statement of Randhawa is on record and if he had spoken something which is not acceptable, he should render an apology. Jammu and Kashmir belongs to everyone and every religion and we shouldn’t make it a Hindu-Muslim or Kashmir versus Jammu issue.”
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