Uproar in J&K assembly over Sunil Sharma martyrs’ day holiday remarks

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Mar 5, 2025

Uproar in J&K assembly over Sunil Sharma martyrs’ day holiday remarks

The Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed uproarious scenes over remarks made by Leader of the Opposition (LOP) and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma, who called the July 13 martyrs as “traitors.”

During the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s address, Peoples Democratic Party leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, demanded the restoration of the July 13 Martyrs Day holiday.

As Parra concluded his speech, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma stood up and objected to his demand.

“They were not martyrs but traitors,” Sharma said, evoking widespread protests from the Treasury benches as well as from Kashmir-based opposition parties. The leaders demanded that the remarks be expunged from the records of the House.

“These remarks were humiliating and divisive and should be withdrawn or expunged from the records,” demanded MLA Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat. Amid continuous slogan shouting between the Treasury Benches and BJP, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather announced that the remarks had been expunged from the records of the House.

All the BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the House in protest against the expunging of Sharma’s remarks. Later, Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Gani Lone demanded that the House pass a resolution for the restoration of holidays on Martyrs Day and on the birthday of NC founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah.