Jammu, Feb 4: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday witnessed an uproar over remarks by Leader of Opposition (LoP) remarks on 'Pir Panjal', prompting the speaker to adjourn the house for 15 days..

LoP Sunil Sharma on Tuesday while speaking to a private channel said that the 'Pir Panjal' term does not exist.
“There is no such region in Jammu and Kashmir. Attempts are being made to create separate regional identities, which challenge the historical and cultural unity of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma had said.
Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmad, during the Zero Hour, raised the issue seeking an apology from the LoP, asserting that his remark on 'Pir Panjal' was disrespectful to the people of the region.
The Rajouri-Poonch districts are termed as the 'Pir Panjal' region.
BJP MLA Sunil Bhardwaj said, "We believe in 'Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat' but by raising such issues, they are diverting the attention so that people's concerns cannot be raised in the House."
Joined by the National Conference (NC) legislators, the Congress MLA, amidst slogans, " 'Pir Panjal' zindabad", assembled near the well and demanded an apology from the LoP.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP MLAs stood on their seats and objected to the protesting MLAs triggering uproar.
The opposition MLAs said that "there is no existence of the 'Pir Panjal' region and Jammu and Kashmir is one identity."
"We will not allow the Dixon plan to succeed, and this theory will never be accepted," the BJP MLAs said.
However, Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, in a response while shouting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', said, "This is an insult to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who have sacrificed for the integrity and unity of the country. The BJP MLAs must apologise to the people of this region. They (BJP) are dividing Jammu and Kashmir on communal and regional lines.'
Jammu and Kashmir cabinet minister, Satish Sharma, supporting the agitating NC-Congress legislators, said, "Nationalist people live in Poonch-Rajouri, they have sacrificed their lives. We understand them. They (BJP) must apologise in the House. They (BJP) have already degraded the status of J&K. We will not tolerate this."
Amidst ruckus in the House, Speaker A R Rather adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, several MLAs from Rajouri and Poonch protested outside the Assembly complex, seeking an apology from the LoP for allegedly hurting the sentiments of people by claiming that the Pir Panjal region does not exist in Jammu and Kashmir.
The protest followed the adjournment of the Assembly by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather after the House plunged into chaos, with BJP and ruling alliance members trading charges and engaging in verbal duels, resulting in pandemonium.
The MLAs from the twin districts — Aijaz Jan of the National Conference, Iftikhar Ahmed of the Congress, Javaid Iqbal, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan and Choudhary Akram — staged the dharna outside the House, raising slogans in favour of Pir Panjal.
Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmed said, “Unless and until Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma tenders an apology, we will not allow the House to function. He has disrespected the people of Pir Panjal. He should respect the name of Pir Panjal, which has been known for a long time.” NC MLA Aijaz Jan also demanded that Sharma apologise on the floor of the House.
“He has hurt the sentiments of the people. We will continue our protest till he apologises. We will not tolerate any insult to the people who defend the borders of this country,” Jan said.
Talking to reporters, LoP Sharma reiterated that such a region does not exist in Jammu and Kashmir and that it is a single entity.
“You cannot create such names. Jammu and Kashmir is one unit,” he said. “People should read ancient texts to see the names of Rajouri, Poonch and the Doda belt.”
Replying to a question on whether he would apologise, as demanded by the ruling party, Sharma parried a direct reply, asking where such a region existed.
He said historical and Puranic references should be consulted, as the area was earlier described as the “Chandrabhaga division”.
He accused certain elements of trying to “erase or alter” the identity of the region by promoting separate regional nomenclatures.
Sharma maintained that Jammu and Kashmir was one entity formed through the efforts of Maharaja Hari Singh and termed the present-day region as his legacy.
He said that if any reorganisation or official nomenclature was to be adopted, it was the government’s responsibility to do so formally.
The BJP leader also criticised what he termed as attempts to project regions such as Pir Panjal and Chenab valley as separate entities, saying such moves could lead to unnecessary divisions.
He further said it is the government’s responsibility to ensure the smooth functioning of the House and objected to ministers asking the opposition to apologise during the proceedings.
Sharma alleged that some parties were acting to suit their political interests and reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir remains an undivided unit.