Cong MLAs stage walkout in J-K Assembly

Srinagar, October 7

Opposition Congress MLAs today staged a walkout in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after the Speaker disallowed their adjournment motion to discuss the killing of innocent people in the state.

As soon as the House assembled, Congress members rose to their feet and demanded that the Speaker suspend the Question Hour and allow a discussion on the killing of innocent people in various incidents of violence in the state.

However, Speaker Kavinder Gupta disallowed the motion, triggering protests and sloganeering from the Congress MLAs.

They later staged a walk out from the House.

Meanwhile, Congress MLCs also staged a walkout in the Upper House of the legislature after Legislative Council Chairman Anayat Ali rejected their demand for discussion on issues such as hike in power tariff, imposition of service tax on helicopter services and rehabilitation of flood victims.

As the Question Hour began, Congress legislators rose on their seats and demanded a discussion on these issues.

The Chairman asked the protesting members to allow the Question Hour to proceed without any disruptions and did not allow any discussion prompting the MLCs to walk out from the House.

Suspension of four NC MLAs revoked

Earlier, the suspension of the four National Conference lawmakers was revoked by the respective presiding officers of the Jammu and Kashmir’s bicameral House, prompting the Opposition party to end its sit-in protest over the issue.

As soon as the Lower House assembled, CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami requested Speaker Kavinder Gupta to reconsider his yesterday’s decision of suspending two NC MLAs—Altaf Wani and Abdul Majid—for the remainder of the session.

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed also intervened and asked the Speaker to reconsider the decision.

“To oppose, depose and expose is the role of the opposition. I request you to reconsider the decision. I also request the opposition leader Omar (Abdullah) sahib to come back to the house,” Sayeed said.

Sayeed “congratulated” the Speaker for the way he handled the situation yesterday, as opposition MLAs created ruckus in the House.

“You were very patient and tolerant, but the opposition is empty,” he said.

Sayeed said democracy is a battle of ideas and the elected members should raise their issues in the House.

“The House is for raising the issues. We also want discussion and debate. If we do not debate here, then where will we,” he said.

Gupta then revoked the suspension of the two NC MLAs and asked Tarigami and Secretary of the Assembly Mohammad Ramzan to convey this decision to protesting MLAs, who were on a sit-in at the Assembly complex entrance.

Later, a similar sequence of events was repeated in the Upper House where the suspension of NC MLCs Showkat Ahmad Zargar and Ali Mohammad Dar was revoked by Chairman Anayat Ali.

Although the National Conference announced the end of its boycott of both the Houses, its lawmakers did not attend the proceedings in either of them today. — PTI