Speaker stops NC MLA Mubarak Gul from speaking in Kashmiri in Jammu Kashmir assembly

October 29, 2025 by News Desk

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Wednesday stopped National Conference (NC) MLA Mubarak Gul from speaking in Kashmiri during the Zero Hour, citing the absence of a translator in the House.

Gul had begun his speech in Kashmiri, narrating his recent interaction with local youth who voiced concern over the growing encroachments and illegal constructions around water bodies. However, the Speaker interrupted him, saying his remarks could not be recorded in the official proceedings.

“Why are you speaking in the Kashmiri language without permission? There is no translator available in the House, so your speech will not go on record,” the Speaker said, interrupting the MLA mid-speech.

Following the intervention, Gul switched to Urdu and criticised the government for what he called its apathy towards regional languages, including Kashmiri and Dogri, despite official claims of promoting them up to the university level.

“As per the latest reports, Kashmiri, Dogri, and other regional languages are not being taught in schools. The government should take this issue seriously,” Gul said.

This was the second such incident this year. During the March session in Jammu, MLA Altaf Ahmad Wani from Pahalgam was also prevented from delivering his speech in Kashmiri due to the same reason — the lack of a translator in the Assembly.