Ruckus in both Houses again, 4 NC legislators suspended

Ehsan Fazili & M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 6

Both Houses witnessed ruckus for the second consecutive day today as the National Conference and Congress demanded raising of issues related to Article 35-A, daily and casual labourers and rehabilitation of the flood-hit.

Four NC members, two each of the Assembly and Council, were suspended for the rest of the session following pandemonium and unruly scenes. Question Hour and Zero Hour in both Houses were conducted without the members.

The two major opposition parties in the Assembly, the NC and Congress, were supported by MY Tarigami of the CPM, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen of the Peoples Democratic Front and Independent legislator Abdul Rashid Sheikh.

The ruckus started soon after Speaker Kavinder Gupta entered the House and started Question Hour. The ruckus throughout Question Hour as members kept holding banners and raising slogans. A placard reading “Save Article 35-A, Save Rights of State Subjects” was raised by NC members. Congress members waved a placard raising demands for rehabilitation of flood-hit, revoking tax on Vaishno Devi helicopter service, regularisation of daily wagers and casual labourers. Congress members supported the NC on Article 35-A.

Opposition members reached the well of the House and continued to seek the Speaker’s and government’s attention. Their attempts to climb on tables and prevent proceedings continued till the end of Question Hour.

Two NC members, Abdul Majid Bhat and Altaf Ahmad Wani, were taken out by marshals and suspended for the rest of the session. At one stage, the agitating members wrenched two mikes from the Speaker’s table. However, this did not stop the Speaker from going ahead with proceedings of the House.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Syed Basharat Ahmad Bukhari intervened, offering to discuss the issues after Question Hour, but the Opposition remained unmoved. He said, “These people are not serious in talking, but are interested in creating ‘hungama’.”

NC and Congress members held a mock Assembly with former Speaker Mubarak Gul as “Speaker” addressing the members standing in the well of the House. Later, opposition members, including NC and Congress members along with Tarigami, Yaseen and Rashid, walked out of the House.

Intervening during the ruckus, former minister and NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar sought the Speaker’s attention on the adjournment motion over Article 35-A. “We want to talk and hold discussions. Mufti’s PDP was given enough space and time when it was in the opposition. We are not given time to raise issues,” Sagar said.

Congress’ GM Saroori raised the issues of problems of daily wagers and casual labourers and NYC volunteers.

In the Council, two NC members, Ali Mohammad Dar and Showkat Hussain Ganaie, were suspended for the rest of the session by Council Chairman Anayat Ali after vociferous protests.