Speaker disallows discussion on floods, BJP MLAs stage walkout

Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday witnessed uproar after the Assembly Speaker disallowed Bharatiya Janata Party’s adjournment motion seeking discussion on the rehabilitation of flood victims in the session.

Ever since the Assembly session began in Srinagar last week, the BJP legislators have been raising the impact of floods in Jammu region and demanding discussion on it, including the rehabilitation.

On Thursday morning, as the session began for the day, BJP legislators stood up from their seats and demanded a discussion on the issue. However, Speaker Abdul Raheem Rather told the members that he had rejected the adjournment motion.

He even asked the legislators that “promise I will find some way”, to hold the discussion. The BJP leaders stated that the Speaker had been promising to allow the resolution on the issue, but he didn’t keep it.

With BJP legislators continuing to protest, the Speaker then allowed the Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Sunil Sharma to make remarks. Sharma said that it was unfortunate that the Assembly wasn’t discussing the issue on the impact of floods caused by heavy rainfall in the region.

He also referred to a report published by a local daily alleging corruption in the Roads and Buildings Department. It then sparked heated exchanges between BJP and National Conference legislators.

National Conference (NC) MLA from Gurez, Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi, said the BJP legislators are “enacting a drama,” and said they are “wasting the time of the House.”

With the uproar continuing, three BJP legislators jumped into the Well of the House and were marshalled out. The Question Hour, however, continued. The BJP legislators later staged a walkout from the House.

Talking to reporters, Sharma said there was flash floods in August and the government has been “non-serious” towards the issue. “They have not taken any step. We were thinking there will be discussion on it. The Speaker didn’t let the issue come to the House and we raised an objection to it,” he said.

He said another major issue is the news report published by a local daily. “The story puts questions on the credibility of the government,” he said, adding that “procedural irregularities and financial deviations have happened.”

Sharma demanded answers from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “Now a year has been completed…we were hoping for action from the government. We are demanding a CBI probe.”