November 7, 2024: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed a stormy scene on Thursday after Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, brother of jailed Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, displayed a banner demanding the restoration of Article 370, the provision that previously granted special status to the region. The incident sparked chaos, with members engaging in a heated confrontation, including a brief fistfight, before the Speaker adjourned the session.

The fracas occurred during the ongoing five-day legislative session, which is the first in six years since the Assembly's last meeting. The ruckus erupted after the opposition BJP raised objections over a resolution passed by the Assembly on Wednesday, calling on the central government to work on a constitutional mechanism to restore Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

As BJP Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma was speaking against the resolution, Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, an MLA with the Awami Ittehad Party, representing Langate, suddenly jumped into the well of the House and unfurled a banner that read, "Restore Article 370." The provocative display escalated tensions, and BJP members rushed to snatch and tear the banner, further intensifying the altercation.

The Speaker of the House, Abdul Rahim Rather, was forced to adjourn the session briefly to restore order.

This incident is the latest in a series of heated exchanges that have marked the current session. On Wednesday, the Assembly passed a resolution calling for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370, a move supported by several valley-based parties but vehemently opposed by the BJP. The resolution was sent to the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary for further action, but the BJP has been vocal in its demand for its rollback.

Earlier in the week, the session had also witnessed chaos when People's Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Para introduced a resolution opposing the abrogation of Article 370. His move triggered a brawl in the Assembly, underscoring the deep political divides that persist over the region's special status.

Article 370 was a key provision of the Indian Constitution that granted Jammu and Kashmir significant autonomy, allowing the region to maintain its own constitution, flag, and internal governance structure. However, on August 5, 2019, the central government revoked Article 370, stripping the region of its special status and reorganizing it into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This controversial move has sparked ongoing political debate and protests.