Srinagar: During the budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday, the atmosphere heated up when the debate between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s only MLA Mehraj Malik and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs turned into a scuffle. This shameful incident happened when Malik termed former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed a ‘traitor’ and accused the BJP-PDP alliance of collusion. Enraged by this statement, he had a fierce clash with BJP and PDP MLAs, during which Malik fell on the glass table. This entire incident was captured on camera and is now going viral on social media.
The uproar started with the statement
The matter started when AAP MLA from Doda Mehraj Malik made a controversial comment against Mufti Sayeed in the Assembly, targeting PDP and BJP. His statement also created a ruckus outside the House. The PDP workers and the MLA immediately got agitated, after which a heated argument started between the two sides. The argument turned into a scuffle. During this, Malik lost his balance and fell on a glass table kept nearby. The security personnel immediately intervened and removed him from there and brought the situation under control.

Malik’s allegation: ‘Police is working at the behest of BJP’

Speaking to the media after the incident, Mehraj Malik made serious allegations against the BJP and the police. He said, “The police is working at the behest of BJP and PDP. An attempt was made to stop me from speaking in the assembly.” Malik also demanded that the PDP workers, who were adopting an aggressive stance against him, be arrested. He claimed that all this is part of a conspiracy to suppress his voice.

BJP MLAs also involved in the scuffle
The dispute escalated further when BJP MLAs Vikram Randhawa, Yudhvir Sethi, RS Pathania, Arvind Gupta and Satish Sharma stood against Malik. Angered by Malik’s sharp attacks, these MLAs first argued with him and then the matter escalated to a scuffle. During this, Malik fell on the table, causing chaos in the House. An eyewitness said, “At first it seemed that it would be limited to debate only, but suddenly everything went out of control.”

Malik’s long association with controversies

This is not the first time that Mehraj Malik has been surrounded by controversies over his statements. Recently, he had said, “Hindus drink alcohol on festivals,” after which there were massive protests against him in Jammu. Apart from this, he had targeted 28 BJP MLAs and said, “These people beat their wives at night and pretend to be brave in the morning.” These provocative statements of his had heated up the political atmosphere earlier also.

BJP’s demand: ‘Malik’s membership should be canceled’

After this incident, BJP MLAs have demanded strict action against Malik. MLA Yudhvir Sethi said, “This person behaves like a gangster. He has no right to stay in the assembly. His membership should be cancelled immediately.” Vikram Randhawa alleged, “Malik has lost his mental balance. He is constantly spewing venom.” BJP MLA RS Pathania termed it a conspiracy of the National Conference and said, “NC is fuelling such dramas to disrupt the proceedings of the House.”

Commotion in political corridors

This incident has become the reason for new tension in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir. There was already bitterness between the ruling party and the opposition in the assembly, but this scuffle further heated up the atmosphere. Political analyst Professor Ahmed Khan says, “Malik’s statement and the subsequent incident show that the politics of Jammu and Kashmir is no longer just a battle of ideas, but is becoming a field of personal confrontation.” According to him, this incident is also a sign of increasing tension between AAP and BJP.

Video viral on social media

The video of this uproar is spreading rapidly on social media. People are expressing surprise and anger over this. One user wrote, “Is this the Vidhan Sabha or a wrestling ring? Shameful!” At the same time, some condemned Malik’s statements and said, “Such people are not worthy of representing the public.” This incident is not only raising questions on the dignity of the Vidhan Sabha, but has also become a topic of discussion among the public.

What next?

For now, the Vidhan Sabha administration has ordered an inquiry into this matter. But the question is whether this inquiry will be just a formality, or will any action really be taken? This new controversy in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir may show more colors in the coming days. Till then this viral video will remain the center of debate among the people.