Speaker urges MLA not to repeat such remarks in future
Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Oct 29: There was uproar in the Legislative Assembly today during the Question Hour after BJP MLA from Kishtwar, Shagun Parihar, sparked controversy by alleging that Hindu-majority areas in her constituency were being ignored in development works because the residents were “nationalists.”
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Speaking during the Zero Hour, Parihar said that more than 70 percent of the population in her region still lives in mountainous areas and remains deprived of basic facilities.
“In my Kishtwar’s Kuntwara village, even today, people are taken in palanquins if they need to go to the hospital. The roads that were sanctioned under the PMGSY have still not been provided. We have the Holi-Chater road in Kishtwar, which is dropped every time because this is a Hindu-populated area and the people here are Nationalists. Their loyalty is the only reason why roads are not being provided to them,” she said.
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Her statement triggered a massive uproar across party lines, with several lawmakers standing up to object to her remarks. Members demanded that the words “Hindu and Nationalist” be immediately expunged from the records, calling them divisive and inflammatory.
Amid the chaos, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened to restore order but declined to strike the remarks from the proceedings. “Do not do it. We respect you and want you to succeed. But you have already started fighting here. There is nothing good in it,” he told the MLA, urging her to exercise caution in the future.
MLA from Gurez, Nazir Ahmad Khan, strongly reacted to Parihar’s statement, saying, “No one is more nationalist than us, the people of Kashmir. We have braved militancy, lost thousands of our people, and continue to face daily shelling. She is newly elected; perhaps it was a slip of the tongue.”
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary also disapproved of Parihar’s remarks, stressing that Jammu and Kashmir has a long history of communal harmony and patriotism. “The brotherhood and hospitality of this land are known across the world. In Kishtwar, Doda, and other areas, not only Hindus but everyone, including every child, is a nationalist, irrespective of community. Be it the people of Kashmir or Jammu, all are working for the national interest to strengthen this country,” he said. The Deputy CM also urged senior BJP leaders to guide Parihar, saying, “If she has made a mistake, her party elders should make her understand. These words should be expunged from the record.”
Despite repeated requests from her own party members to take her seat, Parihar remained defiant and continued to speak. She alleged that she was being silenced unfairly. “When PDP members spoke yesterday, why was not this reaction shown? Look at the recordings: what they said about Hindus,” she asked.
Minister for Agriculture Production and Rural Development Javed Ahmad Dar reiterated that the Assembly should not be divided along religious lines. “We are not here to fight as Hindus, Sikhs, or Muslims. The statement that works in Kishtwar have been stopped because Hindus there are nationalists is objectionable and unacceptable,” he said.
The heated exchange continued for several minutes before the Speaker restored order and moved on to the next agenda item.
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