Violent protests in Assembly over CM’s remarks
State Times News
Jammu: In a clever move, Jammu and Kashmir Government, particularly the BJP, which seems to be in hard waters, had a sigh of relief when Speaker Kavinder Gupta on Wednesday adjourned the House proceedings sine die amid pandemonium.
The Speaker however, also blamed opposition National Conference and Congress for not taking and participating in the House proceedings seriously.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta however, adjourned the House sine die amid noisy scenes by the opposition members here.
Opposition MLAs including Altaf Kalloo and Abdul Majeed Larmi sustained injuries during clash with the marshals while staging protest in the Well of the House.
Members were about to hit each other with blows but Marshals and watch and ward staff intervened and tried to apart them.
The protesting members vandalised the tables and uprooted the mikes.
Kalloo lifted a chair to throw it at BJP Minister Choudhary Lal Singh, who slammed opposition for politicising the issue and also picked the mike in reaction to Kalloo.
NC MLA Akbar Lone along with NC lawmaker Abdul Majeed Larmi and Rajeev Sharma of BJP also clashed with each other during the pandemonium resulting into injuries to two Marshals.
Earlier, replying to Omar Abdullah’s demand the speaker Kavinder Gupta said that he has examined the record and CM hasn’t referred to anti-nationals and there are people who want valley to burn.
As the House this morning resumed after 30 minutes adjournment, opposition was up in ante against the government and protested into the Well.
Amid pandemonium, Speaker Legislative Assembly Kavinder Gupta adjourned the House sine die.
Later talking to reporters Gupta said that he had already cleared in the House yesterday that no words are expunged and he will examine the statement of the chief minister but despite that, opposition members disrupted the House proceedings.
“They created scene in the House, ransacked property, thrashed watch and ward staff, which is not a healthy sign from Opposition members as they should have played a constructive role,” the Speaker said.
“Our business is almost complete and after taking all pros and cons into consideration, the House was adjourned sine die,” he added.
“Opposition was not in mood of allowing smooth functioning of the House despite our statement and finally, I adjourned the House sine die,” said the Speaker.
Meanwhile opposition members shouting slogans, ‘Marshal Law Nahin Chalega’, ‘Jor Jabardasti Nahin Chalegi’, protested outside the Legislative Assembly Complex and marched inside the Civil Secretariat.
Earlier in the morning when House assembled for the proceedings, Assembly witnessed noisy scenes as opposition created uproar demanding clarification from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on her Article 370 remarks following which the Speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes.
Leader of Opposition, Omar Abdullah raised the issue asking Speaker to clear the dust whether the remarks were expunged or not and the Chief Minister should clear her stand.
The Speaker Kavinder Gupta however, said that each party has its own agenda and intention of the Chief Minister was not wrong.
The opposition members from National Conference and Congress created hullabaloo and protested into the Well.
They shouted anti-BJP slogans.
The Speaker adjourned the House for 30 minutes amid noisy scenes.
Yesterday the House was adjourned for a day.
Speaking to reporters outside the House, Congress MLA and Leader of Congress Legislative Party Nawang Rigzin Jora said that the Speaker has misled the House by issuing a confusing statement.
Jora said that earlier the Speaker said that he had expunged the words but later refused saying that he had not expunged the remarks but will examine it and the Chief Minister will reply in the House.
“It is unfortunate that the Speaker himself played with his words and misled the House,” he added.
CPI (M) MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said that the Speaker’s decision to adjourn the State Legislative Assembly sine-die ahead of its schedule is harmful for maintaining the sanctity of the legislature and democracy in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Without following the procedure, the laid down norms and without even exploring the possibility of overcoming the crisis created by a controversial statement of the Chief Minister regarding Article 370 on Monday, the Speaker ordered the sine die adjournment of the Assembly which amounts to disrespect of the house itself,” Tarigami said.
He said that there are two ways to settle any ‘disorder or uncertainty’ in the House. One, if the business of the House is not going on smoothly, either the House is adjourned for some time or the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meets to sort out the controversial issue which hampers the proceedings.
Recalling the statement of the Chief Minister, (who is also leader of the House in the State Assembly) on January 30, in which she said that those advocating scrapping of the Article 370 are ‘anti nationals.’ Tarigami said that on the demand of BJP members, the speaker first expunged the remarks, changed his position as the opposition challenged it and lodged a protest.
The final decision of the speaker which resulted in the sine die adjournment of the House is a serious matter and harmful for the democratic process in the state, he added.
BJP MLA Ravinder Raina condemned the opposition’s behaviour and termed it as unfortunate.
“It is very wrong on the part of opposition to behave like this in the House where they have come after being elected by the people to make laws, raise issues and undertake assurances from the government on development and ensure peace, progress and brotherhood in the state,” he said.
“If the lawmakers will create such a situation, there will be nothing more unfortunate in a democratic set up. If you do not agree on any point, you can debate, discuss but should not resort to throwing chairs, breaking furniture, uprooting mikes and beating marshals,” Raina said.
Independent MLA Hakeem Yaseen said, “I don’t approve of violent protests but the government is responsible for creating such a situation…opposition wants to run the House and government should reply to the demand that the chief minister clear her stand on the issue.”
“It is unfortunate that such a thing has happened. It is condemnable,” Education Minister Naeem Akhter told reporters.
“Breaking chairs, attacking staff and uprooting mikes is not expected from the lawmakers particularly when some of them are senior members and many time ministers. There is no such example of this kind of behaviour in the history of Assembly proceedings,” Akhter said.
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Chairman adjourns LC sine die amid noisy scenes JAMMU: Amid noisy scenes by opposition over Chief Minister’s statement on Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council Chairman, Haji Inayat Ali on Wednesday adjourned the House sine die after House passed four bills. However, on Akhtar’s request, the Chairman rejected opposition’s plea and directed for normal proceeding of Question Hour following which the members stormed into the Well of the House carrying papers and mikes. The members went close to the Chairman’s dais in spite of stiff resistance from the Marshals. MLCs including Ali Mohammad Dar, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo, Showkat Ahmad Ganai of National Conference and Jugal Kishor Sharma and Naresh Gupta of Congress forcibly pushed aside the watch and ward staff and also snatched reporters chairs and mikes, tore papers amid anti -BJP, anti-PDP, anti-RSS slogans for around 30 minutes. Acting on the directions from the Chairman’s chair, the Marshals tried to push back the MLCs and in a scuffle, Kichloo, Ganai and Jugal Kishore sustained injuries. The members vandalised tables and mikes besides other property of the House and the Chairman later adjourned the House for half an hour. Meanwhile, when the House resumed, the House witnessed similar situation, following which Chairman adjourned the House sine die. Later talking to reporters outside the Council, Kichloo said, “Government is murdering democracy”. “We welcomed the statement of Chief Minister but the government did not clarify its stand in the House, perhaps the spokesperson directed Chairman not to allow opposition,” he added. The Congress MLC alleged that adjournment was pre-planned to avoid embarrassment. He further claimed that the Marshals were called from the Legislative Assembly to thrash the members.
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