The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes on Tuesday as MLAs clashed over police action against protesting daily-wage workers. The uproar began after Question Hour, when BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa raised concerns about the police crackdown on daily-wage workers protesting in Jammu on Monday.
Responding to the query, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the police action unfortunate and assured that he would address the issues of daily-wage workers during discussions on budgetary grants for departments under his charge.
Abdullah pointed out that the police were not under his or Randhawa’s direct control. "Rather than creating an uproar here, you should have taken up the matter with the authorities responsible for the police, who are just a few kilometres away," he said.
Acknowledging the grievances of daily-wage workers, Abdullah said their concerns were not just financial but also humanitarian. “Lathis should not have been used against them. I am sure the police have taken note of this concern," he added.
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As BJP legislators pushed for the regularisation of daily-wage workers, National Conference (NC) MLAs countered them, accusing the BJP of failing to address the issue during their time in power. This led to a heated exchange, with NC members chanting "Shame, Shame" at the BJP, while both sides shouted slogans at each other for nearly 10 minutes.
BJP legislators demanded "Dailywagers Ko Pakka Karo" (Regularise Daily-Wage Workers), before staging a walkout, accusing the NC of betraying the protesting workers.
Despite Jammu and Kashmir attracting over Rs 10,000 crore in investment since the abrogation of Article 370, unemployment remains the highest in the country, inflation has risen, and tariffs have increased. For thousands of educated youth, government jobs remain the first preference due to limited private sector opportunities.
The government has introduced several schemes, including skill development programmes, soft loans with subsidies, and startup support initiatives to address the issue of growing unemployment.
