Jammu, Nov 8 (IANS) BJP MLAs continued their protest on Friday against the resolution to restore Article 370 passed by the J&K Assembly as the Speaker ordered marshals to take them out of the house and not allow them to re-enter. A majority of MLAs from BJP were on Friday marshalled out after they tried to storm into the well of the house to demand the rollback of the resolution passed on special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Amidst the speech by NC MLA Javaid Beg, the BJP MLAs stormed into the well of the house raising slogans. Over a dozen BJP MLAs were marshalled out of the house. The Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather told the marshals not to allow them to re-enter the house. The remaining 11 BJP MLAs staged a walkout in protest.

BJP has 28 MLAs in the J&K Assembly after one BJP MLA, Devender Singh Rana passed away. The Speaker has declared his seat as vacant. The J&K Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution by voice vote seeking restoration of Article 370 in J&K. The resolution was piloted by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and in addition to the 42 members of NC, three of PDP, three Independents and one CPI-M MLA who supported the resolution. The BJP opposed the resolution saying that it is in utter disregard to the right of the Parliament that abrogated Article 370 and also the Supreme Court that upheld the Parliament’s right to abrogate the same.

The NC had made restoration of Article 370 and statehood to J&K its main electoral plank. The BJP has said that they would not allow the Assembly to function unless the resolution was revoked. Friday is the last day of the 5-day long session of the J&K Assembly.

/IANS