Chaos in J&K House over rights violations, civilian killings
Opposition stages walkout, noisy protests, antigovernment slogans stall proceedings
Jammu: pandemonium struck the Jammu & Kashmir legislative assembly and the legislative council on Wednesday as the entire Opposition staged a walkout after noisy protests over alleged human rights violations, civilian killings and grim power crisis in Kashmir.
Amid frayed nerves, heated barbs and intense sloganeering, the legislative council had to be adjourned briefly before Opposition staged a walkout.
The Opposition was furious as neither speaker Kavinder Gupta nor chairman Haji Anayat Ali allowed their adjournment motions in both houses.
In the lower house, the entire Question Hour witnessed vociferous protests and intense slogans by the Opposition in the presence of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who remained seated calmly during protests. Opposition stormed the well nearly half a dozen times.
Amid the din, NC MLA Mohammed Altaf Kaloo flung papers towards the speaker.
Repeated pleas of parliamentary affairs minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, speaker and minister Javaid Mustafa Mir failed to pacify the Opposition. There were also heated exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches.
Though Kavinder Gupta had turned down the adjournment motions, he agreed to a one-hour discussion after Question Hour. However, leaders of the NC, Congress, CPM as well as independent legislators insisted that the matters of grave importance be taken up immediately.
The Opposition raised slogans like “Dismiss this murderer government”, “Stop human rights violations” and Zalimo Qatilo Hosh Mein Aao”.
NC MLA Ali Mohammed Sagar told said, “Kya yeh haqiqat nahi chief minister jab Opposition mein thi humari naak mein dum karti thi jab bhi koi ek bhi killing ho jati thi (Is it not true that when CM was in opposition, she used to beset the ruling party even if there was one killing),” he said.
Speaking to media outside his house, CPM legislator MY Tari- gam said the two issues warranted a discussion but the speaker didn’t allow it compelling the party leaders to stage a walkout.
NC MLA Devender Singh Rana rued, “The house met after a gap of over one and a half year. It is imperative to discuss the prevailing situation in the state but this government has stifled the voice of Opposition."
BJP LAWMAKERS STAGE WALKOUT
BJP legislator Ajatshatru Singh found no support from the party, while demanding declaration of a holiday on the birth anniversary of late Maharja Hari Singh.
In a major embarrassment to the ruling PDP-BJP alliance, BJP lawmaker Sukhnandan Choudhary twice stormed the well of the lower house before staging a walk out over farmers’ issue vis-à-vis compensation for their land being acquired for a ring road project. “It is farm land and the rate has to be 10 times more that what is being given to them,” he said. Choudhary stormed the well twice and eventually staged a walk out.