BJP members walked out of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday following a heated confrontation with National Conference (NC) MLAs over the detention and baton-charging of protesting daily wage employees from the Jal Shakti (PHE) department.

The protests, held in Srinagar and Jammu on Monday, March 10, saw scores of workers demanding the release of pending wages and regularization of their services. Police intervened, using batons and detaining several demonstrators as they marched toward the Assembly and the chief minister’s residence.

The issue erupted in the Assembly when BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa raised the plight of the daily wagers, criticizing the NC-led government for failing to address their demands despite earlier promises. Supported by fellow BJP members, including Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma and Sham Lal Sharma, he pointed to the lack of budget allocations for these workers.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intervened, calling it a humanitarian issue and urging members to await the government’s response. He condemned the baton-charge, stating, “The police are neither under your control nor ours, and such an incident should not have taken place.” He added that the police had been instructed to exercise restraint moving forward.

Tensions escalated as Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary defended the NC, asserting that the party had employed these workers and would work toward their regularization. The exchange deteriorated into chaos, with derogatory remarks traded between NC and BJP members, later expunged by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather. Despite appeals for calm, BJP MLAs staged a walkout after accusing the government of neglecting the workers.

The daily wagers, who staged prolonged strikes last year, have long demanded wage releases and job security. Though talks with officials have occurred, their grievances remain unresolved, fueling Monday’s protests and Tuesday’s Assembly uproar.