Language Dispute in J&K Assembly: Dogri and Kashmiri Use During Question Hour Sparks Debate

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed a linguistic dispute during its budget session when BJP MLA Satish Kumar Sharma spoke in Dogri while asking a supplementary question. The treasury benches objected, leading Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to intervene, stating that remarks in Dogri or Kashmiri would not be recorded as reporters couldn't understand these languages.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah commented that the MLA should have spoken in a language the minister could understand, suggesting he was merely seeking attention. The MLA subsequently repeated his question in Hindi.

Later, during budget discussions, Pahalgam MLA Altaf Wani spoke in Kashmiri and questioned the apparent double standard regarding language use. When BJP members objected, Wani clarified that his concern wasn't about Dogri specifically, but about comprehension, adding there was a "broader issue concerning Kashmir."

The Speaker reaffirmed that only official languages would be included in the assembly records, highlighting ongoing sensitivities around language politics in the newly restructured union territory.