Srinagar, March 5 —The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly erupted into chaos on Wednesday after Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma referred to those commemorated on July 13 Martyrs’ Day as "traitors."
The uproar began during discussions on the Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s address when PDP leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra urged the government to restore the July 13 Martyrs' Day holiday, which was removed after the abrogation of Article 370.
The Delhi government had replaced Martyrs’ Day with Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday as a state holiday while also scrapping Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s birth anniversary.
"It is important that we put history right," Parra said.
As Parra concluded, Sharma stood up and objected. “They were not martyrs but traitors,” he said, triggering strong protests from both Treasury benches and Kashmir-based opposition parties.
“These remarks are insulting and divisive. They should be withdrawn or expunged,” demanded MLA Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat.
The demand intensified as legislators shouted slogans across the House, forcing Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to announce the expunging of Sharma’s remarks.
Outraged by the decision, BJP legislators staged a walkout in protest.
Meanwhile, Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Gani Lone also called for a resolution reinstating holidays for both Martyrs' Day and Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary.
July 13 Martyrs' Day marks the killing of Kashmiris during an uprising against Dogra rule in 1931. The day was traditionally observed to honor those who fought against autocratic rule but was removed from the official holiday list following the region’s reorganization in 2019.