Mohammad Akbar Lone, the senior National Conference (NC) MP who was recently asked by the Supreme Court to swear allegiance to the Constitution, remains a hugely popular leader in the Sonawari constituency in north Kashmir. However, his brusque remarks and uncouth behaviour have frequently landed him in controversies. His son, Hilal, too has drawn flak for his off-the-cuff remarks.
Mr. Lone, 75, holds a law degree from Aligarh Muslim University. A former three-time MLA, Mr. Lone, as the Speaker of the J&K Assembly in 2012, entered into a verbal duel and used unpleasant language for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader in the House. The video, which saw millions of hits on social media platforms, is still being used to create memes.
In 2009, he got into an altercation with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and had her marshalled out of the Assembly. He would frequently enter into heated arguments with the Opposition leaders inside the Assembly.
