India, Sept. 27 -- Ruling National Conference and BJP trade protests over statehood and public concerns.

The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly has witnessed a politically charged week, with repeated disruptions, sloganshouting and protests turning the floor of the House into the centre of a wider political contest between the ruling National Conference and the Opposition BJP. At the heart of the confrontation is the question of restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

For the National Conference, the issue has emerged as one of the principal political commitments before the elected government. The party has repeatedly argued that Jammu and Kashmir has gone through delimitation and elections and that restoration of statehood s...