J&K Assembly passes statehood resolution

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday passed the resolution demanding urgent restoration of full statehood amid ruckus and walkout staged by opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to PTI.Four MLAs were marshalled out of the state Assembly after BJP members created a ruckus in the House, protesting the resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to restore statehood.As Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather continued the proceedings, BJP MLAs staged mock proceedings in the House well, despite warnings that action would be taken for disrupting the House.The BJP said the reference to autonomy and special status in the resolution was an insult to the Indian Constitution and that the party would not allow a discussion on it or its passage in the House.Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said the members of the assembly had been elected to represent the people."J&K is a sensitive state and we have enemies around. They are hatching conspiracies. We don't want to do opposition for the sake of opposition. We want that statehood be restored. It is our agenda. But the kind of resolution they have brought, it is in violation of the Constitution and is unacceptable," he said, as quoted by PTI."Are we going to give up statehood? What is wrong with the resolution for statehood? The home minister has promised on the floor of the Parliament that statehood will be restored. They promised before the highest court of the country. What happened to those promises? Two years have passed since," said Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary.He then urged Speaker Rather to put the motion moved against him by the BJP to vote."Why wait for 14 days?" Chaudhary said, referring to Rather citing a rule that states that a motion for the removal of the speaker can only be taken up 14 days after its submission.