Ever since the current session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly began its winter sitting in Jammu, walk-outs have been the daily affair. Not only the opposition members even the ruling coalition partner members too staged walk-outs on issues which have seen ample walk-outs earlier also. The issues have not been settled till date the stalemate continues even today also. The coalition partner’s MLA walking out of the House in protest over the unsatisfactory reply of the minister over tourism infrastructure development in Jammu region was a unique one. Opposition staging such protest does make some logic but a ruling party MLA staging such a protest makes mockery of the system. Earlier BJP MLA, who was a minister in the Mufti Sayeed government, stating that he had not been provided a reply to his question listed in the day’s business staged a walk-out. The MLA had sought a reply to his query about development of ‘Gujjar Bastis’ in Marh Block in Jammu region. Another MLA from Khansahib, a four-time member, walked out of the House, saying the Speaker had ignored him. What a trivial issue to protest? Opposition has been protesting over the discrepancies in the list of BPL beneficiaries of CAPD Department, worsening power supply scenario and worsening traffic management in both capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar. Today Assembly has turned out to be an arena of shouting-match between members and they have not even spared the chair of Speaker during all these commotions. The budget session too had started on a stormy note. When Governor N. N Vohra entered, the opposition including members of the National Conference, Congress, CPI(M) and other Kashmir-based Independent legislators — stood up carrying placards. When they disrupted the Governor for the third time, raising slogans and shouting, Governor cut short his address. The opposition members continued with the sloganeering even when the National Anthem started. Amid the ruckus, Governor Vohra left. Is this the democratic principles the members of the House who take allegiance to uphold the constitutional values want to tell the common man? Such shouting wars and walk-outs have degraded the dignity office the members of the House hold. They should at least allow the government to continue with its business so that the very purpose of the Assembly is served.
