Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 11: Congress and People’s Democratic Party MLAs today indulged in war of words in the Legislative Assembly after one of the ruling party member claimed that he has been threatened of murder by former militant-turned-Ikhwani-turned-MLA.
During the Question Hour, PDP MLA from Batmaloo Noor Mohammad brought to the notice of the Speaker Kavinder Gupta that Congress MLA from Bandipora, Usman Majid has threatened to murder him.
He termed Usman Majid as militant-turned-Ikhwani-turned-politician in the Assembly when the latter was not present in the House. The PDP MLA even went to the extent of saying that Usman as a militant had kidnapped his father and took Rs one lakh to release him. “He even kidnapped me and released only after taking Rs 60,000 which my father arranged with difficulties”, PDP MLA further alleged.
Noor Mohammad demanded security from the Speaker on the ground that even some days back Usman Majid had threatened to kill him. As Usman Majid came in the House, he entered into an argument with Noor Mohammad. “Violence has come as a fortune for 90% people sitting here in the House”, Congress MLA remarked, adding “the PDP member has resorted to such allegations against me because I had yesterday filed a privilege motion against him over his controversial remarks”.
This infuriated all the PDP MLAs, who started protesting against Usman Majid. Even Congress members sided with Majid triggering verbal duel and uproar in the House, which continued for 10 minutes. As Speaker didn’t allow Congress MLA from Bandipora to further indulge in war of words with Noor Mohammad, the former left his seat and entered the well of the House to lodge protest.
“I have every right to respond to the allegations leveled against me…..If you can permit him to speak against me when I was not in the House, I too have the right to speak”, Usman Majid said. After being allowed to speak, he said, “yes, I was the militant and Ikhwani”, adding “I had gone to Pakistan and brought back gun but when I realized that Kashmir is a political problem I left the gun and joined the mainstream”.
Terming allegations of kidnapping as unfounded, he said, “the PDP MLA might have been lifted by the security forces during anti-militancy operations”. “You must appreciate that we had taken stand against Pakistan by risking our lives in order to join mainstream”, he further said and cautioned the PDP MLAs against raising accusing fingers towards him.
Joining the issue, independent MLA Engineer Rashid said, “the facts about Usman Majid are known to everybody in this House”, adding “if the PDP had any problem about his being former militant and Ikhwani they should have not inducted him in Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s Council of Ministers in 2002”. He said that PDP should tender apology for leveling allegations against Usman Majid.
It was only after repeated interventions from the Speaker that verbal duel between PDP and Congress MLAs came to an end.
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