There was pandemonium in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday over the Shopian case with Opposition PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti wrenching a mike out of the Speaker’s podium and throwing it away after which she and her party MLAs were ejected from the House.

As the House met for the day, Mehbooba stood up, saying she wanted to raise the Shopian matter involving the rape and murder of two young women. Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone disallowed this, saying the day was meant exclusively for obituary references of members. But when a BJP MLA and a National Conference legislator rose to speak on other issues, Mehbooba, raising her voice, demanded that she be granted the right to speak.

She did not relent despite warnings and Speaker Lone directed the marshals to remove the PDP legislators. When Mehbooba protested, he directed the marshals to remove her too. Mehbooba then went in his direction, wrenched a mike out and threw it away. She was removed from the House almost immediately.

Outside the House, Mehbooba defended her behaviour, saying she was forced to take such a step because of what the Speaker said. “When we as a political party were agitating over people’s issues, the Speaker told his staff ‘drag this lady out of the House,” she alleged.

“There is no reason for me to apologise... We are one of the largest parties in the House... Our vote share is more than that of the National Conference. So we should get a say in the business of the House,” she said.