NC, Cong, CPI(M) MLAs hold protest outside LA
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly descended into chaos with religious and jingoistic sloganeering on Monday after the speaker rejected an adjournment motion, moved by the National Conference to discuss the Waqf (Amendment) Act, saying the matter was sub judice.
The House was adjourned twice amid pandemonium to reconvene and witness chaos again. The third time, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the House for the day.
A ruckus erupted in the House after Rather refused the motion, moved by NC’s Nazir Gurezi and Tanvir Sadiq, seeking adjournment of the question hour to discuss the Waqf law.
A notice for the motion was given to the Speaker by nine members from across the NC, Congress, and Independents.
Leader of the House, BJP’s Sunil Sharma, mounted a vociferous opposition to the motion, triggering an uproar.
“It is a religious matter concerning our faith. There is no issue more pressing than this. Will you, Speaker, adjourn the house to address this critical issue?” Sadiq said.
NC’s Kaiser Jamshed Lone said that it motion pertained to religious matters and a half-hour discussion should be scheduled.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary demanded that members be allowed to express their views on the issue. “If they wish to express their views, they should be allowed to speak,” Choudhary said.
The Speaker instructed members to return to their seats.
However, the confrontation ratcheted up when the parties took to hurling sallies at each other. NC and Congress members raised shouts of “BJP haay haay” and “Bill wapis karo”.
The BJP members responded by shouting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” which was then countered by NC, Congress, and PDP members chanting “Allah hu Akbar.”
The BJP members also shouted slogans like “Vande Mataram” and “Jaha hua balidaan Mukherjee, wo Kashmir hamara hai.”
NC, Congress, and PDP members matched it with loud chants of “Nara-e Takbeer.”
As chaos continued, NC members Salman Sagar and Aijaz Jan tore up the question papers and threw them in the air.
Intervening, the Speaker referred to rule 58, sub-section 7, stating that issues pending in the court cannot be discussed in the House. “The bill is currently sub judice in the Supreme Court. I have received writ petitions. It cannot be debated here,” he said.
He also stressed that the constitutionality of the Bill is a matter for the court to decide.
PDP member Wahid Para pointed out the religious significance of the matter.
“It is a crucial religious matter. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a resolution on it. The house should act accordingly,” he said.
The Speaker said the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s resolution predated the court proceedings. “It is sub judice. I will not allow an adjournment,” he asserted.
During the ruckus, NC member Majid Larmi’s black achkan was torn. Party members held up pieces of the torn dress as symbols of protest against the Bill.
“Bill wapis lo, kanoon ko khatam karo,” they shouted, while BJP members countered them with “dramebazi ko bandh karo.”
Gurezi said, “This is a religious issue, and we are prepared to sacrifice anything for our faith. If you do not allow us to discuss it, we will not allow the House to function.”
There was a bit of jostling between BJP members Satesh Sharma, Vikram Randhawa, Arvind Gupta, and Congress MLA Irfan Hafeez Lone. A full-on confrontation was however prevented by the watch and ward staff.
Sensing the situation, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day. NC, Congress, and CPIM members staged a protest at the entrance of the Assembly House.
Later, the members of the coalition government in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly held protests outside the House over the Waqf (Amendment) Act after the Speaker adjourned the House.
The MLAs of the National Conference (NC), Congress, CPI(M) and some Independents staged a dharna at the entry gate of the Assembly and protested against the BJP-led government at the Centre.
“BJP resorted to manhandling in the House. They raised religious slogans. We reminded them that this is not a wrestling ring. We are here to raise constitutional issues,” NC member Altaf Kaloo told reporters.
He said they had brought an adjournment motion in the House, which the Speaker did not accept. “In the Tamil Nadu Assembly, a resolution was passed even though Muslims constitute only 6 per cent of the population. Why can’t there be discussions in this Muslim-majority region?” he said.
The Speaker rejected the demand to debate the issue, stating that issues pending in the court cannot be discussed in the House.
Participating in the protest, CPI(M) member M Y Tarigami called on everyone to unite against the BJP and its divisive politics.
“I urge the people of Jammu to support us. BJP may try to give it a communal colour, but we must stand united,” he said.
Congress’ Irfan Hafeez Lone carried a banner against the Act, saying it is not acceptable to the people and held a protest at the staircase of the House.
Earlier, Lone held a banner – Waqf Amendment Bill is not acceptable to us – and called BJP “anti-Mahatma Gandhi” and “supporters of Nathuram Godse” inside the House. This drew a sharp reaction from some BJP members, who rushed near the well of the House.
There was pushing and shoving involving him and Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmed, but the watch and ward staff intervened and prevented a clash.
He said, “If the watch and ward staff had not intervened, they would have killed me. It was an attack on me.”
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma accused the ruling NC of inciting religious sentiments in Kashmir through its protest in the J&K Assembly.
He called the disruption unconstitutional and alleged bias by the Speaker.
He also pointed out that NC MPs remained silent in Parliament but are now creating unrest over a passed bill.