Srinagar: Some of BJP legislators on Thursday thrashed independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid in the J&K Assembly for throwing a beef party, triggering an uproar from the opposition which staged a walkout.
As BJP MLAs assaulted him, several NC and Congress MLAs rushed to save him.
“What happened today is impossible to digest. An honourable member being assaulted in the House. It seems that they wanted to murder him (Rashid). If he had done anything that was objectionable that should have been put on record,” the former CM Omar Abdullah said.
On the beef ban issue, Omar said, “Our sentiments are also attached to this issue… We don’t force our religion on you. My religion prohibits consumption of alcohol and pork… Do I assault everyone who eats pork or alcohol,” he said, demanding that the Chief Minister make a statement on the issue.
However Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed condemning the assault said sentiments should be kept under check and asked Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh to apologise for the misconduct of his party MLAs.
Singh on his part said, “We do not approve of what happened in the Assembly today. But what happened in the MLAs hostel yesterday was also wrong,” he said, referring to yesterday’s beef party.
The Deputy Chief Minister stopped short of apologising for the incident following which the entire opposition staged a walkout. BJP MLA Ravinder Raina said Rashid had hurt the sentiments of Hindus.
Rashid, the legislator from Langate, had yesterday hosted the beef party in the lawns of MLA hostel here, with the guests being served beef kebabs, ‘ristas’ (meat balls) and beef patties.
The step was “just to give them (legislators) a clear message that it hardly makes any difference whether you accept or reject the bill… religious matters cannot be kept subservient to courts and assembly,” the MLA had said.
“Nobody on earth, no assembly, no court and no institution can stop us from having what we want to have,” he added.