NC, Congress stage walkout

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 25

National Conference (NC) and Congress members staged a walkout during the the Governor’s address to a joint session of both Houses, accusing the PDP-BJP government of failure on many fronts, here today.

As soon as Governor NN Vohra began his address, opposition members were on their feet, drawing his attention to various issues related to concerns of the people and governance.

Issues raised by them included National Food Security Act (NFSA) implementation, compensation for flood victims and return of power projects to the state.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid, vociferous Independent MLA from Langate, continued to protest throughout the 35-minute speech of the Governor, focusing on Handwara killings and other “sensitive” issues.

NC members of both Houses led by former minister Ali Mohammad Sagar sought withdrawal of the NFSA, compensation for the 2014 flood victims and action on “adverse” comments of Forest Minister Lal Singh.

They raised slogans like “Bhaashan nahin ration chahiye” (We do not want speeches but ration). NC members continued thumping of desks to protest the “failure” of the PDP-BJP government and its policies.

“Lal Singh’s comments against a particular community are dangerous and an attempt to vitiate the secular fabric of Jammu,” NC MLA Devender Singh Rana later said.

Amid noisy scenes due to sloganeering and thumping of desks, the Governor’s address was not audible. After 15 minutes, NC members walked out of the House and staged a sit-in outside the auditorium during the rest of the Governor’s address.

Earlier, Congress legislators led by the former minister Nawang Rigzin Jora raised various issues and questioned “achievements” of the coalition government during the past one year.

“Usually, the Governor’s address is about the achievements of the government and its policies. We say there were hardly any achievements of this government,” Jora said.

Issues raised by the party included return of power projects to Jammu and Kashmir, “honourable” rehabilitation of flood victims and implementation of the NFSA.

Engineer Rashid held a sit-in outside the SKICC before the session commenced, seeking completion of a magisterial probe into civilian killings in Handwara last month.

“What happened to magisterial probe of Handwara killings”, read a poster he displayed. Later, he showed it in the auditorium while the Governor’s address was going on.

Throughout the Governor’s speech, Rashid continued to raise his voice on a number of issues, accusing the government of failure on different fronts. “All sensitive issues were touched,” he later said.