MLAs hurt in J&K Assembly melee

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday witnessed unruly scenes over Chief Minister Omar Abdullah?s speech in the House a day ago with four legislators reportedly injured in the melee after marshals were called in to take out protesting MLAs.

Opposition National Panthers Party (NPP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs tried to storm into the Well of the House on Thursday, protesting Omar?s speech on Wednesday in reply to a two-day debate on the prevailing law and order situation in the state.

Marshals were called to take out the protesting MLAs and in the melee, a NPP and three BJP legislators reportedly got injured, BJP leaders claimed later.

The BJP has decided to boycott the Assembly session, which ends on October 9.

The Opposition parties were protesting Omar?s reply to the BJP stand that there was no dispute to be resolved with regard to Jammu and Kashmir.

Winding up the two-day debate, Omar had reiterated that dialogue was the only way to resolve the outstanding issues in the state, while affirming that the state government will continue to work for the benefit of its people.

?It (Kashmir) is an outstanding issue which needs to be resolved. It is a political issue and cannot be addressed through development, employment or good governance only,? he said.