Avinash Azad
In a striking irony, the BJP, once fiercely opposed to dual symbols in Jammu and Kashmir, conducted a separate “assembly within an assembly” in Srinagar—a move that has raised eyebrows given its staunch stance until August 2019.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Channel
The members of the saffron party staged what observers are calling a ‘parallel assembly’ within the premises of the Legislative Assembly complex in Srinagar today, marking an unprecedented move in the region’s parliamentary history.
The extraordinary scene unfolded after 28 BJP legislators were marshalled out of the main assembly session. Led by Sham Lal Sharma, a former Congress leader who joined the BJP in 2020, the party members organized their own proceedings on the assembly lawn, with Sharma assuming the role of ‘Speaker.’
According to news agency KINS, the impromptu session, conducted in full view of the media, saw BJP legislators seated in a circle with Sharma positioned on a chair, mimicking the formal assembly arrangement. The parallel proceedings included structured discussions and member presentations, mirroring the protocols of the official assembly.
“This is the real Assembly, not the one inside,” declared Sharma, presiding over the unusual gathering. The theatrical protest came in response to what BJP members described as an unexpected shift in the assembly’s business agenda, particularly regarding a resolution on special status.
The development marks a striking departure from the BJP’s traditional stance on governance in Jammu and Kashmir. The party, which had consistently opposed the concept of separate constitutional arrangements in the region until the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, now finds itself conducting a separate assembly session, albeit as a form of protest.
The parallel session gained additional significance when its acting ‘Speaker’ Sharma acknowledged Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, thanking him for “allowing us to hold this real Assembly.”
The session continued with multiple BJP legislators taking turns to address their concerns, creating what appeared to be a formal parliamentary proceeding in an informal setting. This unprecedented move has raised questions about the state of democratic discourse in the region and the evolving nature of political protest in Jammu and Kashmir’s post-2019 landscape.
The BJP’s latest move to hold a separate “assembly within an assembly” reveals an ambiguous shift from its long-standing “one nation, one flag” ideology (Words versus actions). Though the party celebrated the abrogation of Article 370 as a unifying milestone, recent election results tell a different story. With only 26 percent of voters backing the BJP and a staggering 74 percent casting votes against it, the message from the people is clear: the demand for the restoration of J&K’s special status persists, challenging the BJP’s commitment to its declared unity principles.
