Srinagar: The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik on Friday blamed the central government for the killing of two village defence guards (VDC) in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking in the assembly, he accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in the Centre of “irresponsibly arming civilians” in Jammu and Kashmir's Chenab and Pir Panjal regions without providing them with proper training.
“Did those who died in Kishtwar know how to use a gun? Could they hit a target?” Malik questioned, referencing the deaths of two VDC members on Thursday.
Malik accused the BJP of giving weapons to “gullible people” for political gain and to boost election efforts, which he claimed resulted in “tragic consequences.”
“The BJP MLAs in this Assembly campaigned on these weapon distributions, and now we see the consequences in Kishtwar. I am ashamed. They should have spoken today as killings occurred in their constituencies, but they resorted to chaos,” he said.
His remarks were directed towards the BJP's two MLAs from Kishtwar district—Leader of Opposition and senior BJP leader Sunil Kumar Sharma, representing Padder-Nagseni, and Shagun Parihar, representing Kishtwar.
The AAP MLA demanded that BJP leaders take responsibility for the gun distribution, which he argued prioritised votes over public safety in their constituencies. “I don't know who killed the two people in Kishtwar, but the BJP is responsible for it too,” he added.
Malik called for accountability, urging BJP leaders, police, and district officials to reveal the number of guns distributed and to justify why they were given to untrained citizens. He further criticised BJP legislators for avoiding discussions on the recent killings in their constituencies and accused them of inciting political disorder.
Meanwhile, PDP legislator Muhammad Rafiq Naik called for an end to stereotypes about Kashmiris. “Kashmiris shouldn't be labelled as separatists, terrorists, or Pakistanis,” Naik said, pressing for an end to derogatory labels.
Earlier in the day, at least 12 BJP MLAs were evicted from the assembly after they stormed into the well to demand a withdrawal of a resolution addressing Jammu and Kashmir's special status. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ordered marshals to prevent their return, prompting the remaining 11 BJP legislators to stage a walkout in protest.
In a striking move, the BJP MLAs, led by Sham Lal Sharma, who acted as Speaker, convened a ‘parallel’ assembly session on the lawns to register their protest.
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