Jammu Tawi, March 11 -- BJP members staged a walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday after a war of words with NC MLAs over the detention and baton charge of protesting daily wage employees of the Jal Shakti department.

Scores of Jal Shakti (PHE) department workers and daily wagers were baton-charged and detained on Monday during demonstrations in Srinagar and Jammu as they marched towards the Assembly and the chief minister's residence demanding release of their wages and regularization. Their march was foiled by police authorities. Intervening in the House, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said it was a humanitarian issue and that members should wait for the government's response on the issue of fulfilment of their demands....