Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 28: Members of National Conference and ruling BJP clashed in Assembly today over the security situation in the wake of attack on CRPF convoy, with the opposition party demanding to know what steps were being taken to deal with the growing violence.
NC members later staged a walkout as their demand went unheeded.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, NC MLAs wanted to speak on the security situation, which according to them was “deteriorating”.
The opposition members referred to the recent incidents of violence in the State including the deadly Pampore attack on last Saturday that left eight CRPF personnel dead and 21 injured.
“We are in the session (of the Assembly) and the Government must come out with a statement,” NC member Devender Rana said.
He also took on BJP, which shares power with PDP in the State, for demanding “attack” on militant training camps across the border in Pakistan.
Accusing BJP of creating “war hysteria”, he said the ruling party was indulging in “jingoism” and “playing to the gallery instead of spelling out measures to combat violence.
Asserting that war is not a solution, Rana said the State, especially the areas adjoining the Line of Control and International Border, braved the brunt of shelling from across the border two years ago.
“Bullets are fired here, not in Nagpur,” Rana said in an apparent reference to the RSS headquarters.
Rana’s comments infuriated BJP MLAs who shouted him down and created din.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta intervened, saying the Central Government was capable of defeating the Pakistani designs in Jammu and Kashmir.
“For a moment, BJP is forgetting that it is in Government, both in the State and at the Centre,” Rana said.
The NC MLA also took a jibe at PDP and wanted to know its response over the alliance partners “war yells and talk of air strikes” in the neighbouring country.
“What is the response of the party that believed in ‘Goli Se Nahi Boli Se (not bullet but by dialogue issues can be resolved),” he said and asked whether the PDP had “surrendered its basic principles for lust of power”.
Rana said war is no solution to problems as world history stands testimony to the fact that all issues have been resolved on negotiating table.
“Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed havoc in the border skirmishes in the past and therefore tendencies of getting into eyeball-to-eyeball situation with the neighbouring country need to be eschewed,” the NC member said.
To ensure this, the BJP, being partner in the Government in J&K and ruling the country has more responsibility,” he added.
The NC MLAs then staged a walkout while shouting slogans against the Government.
Opposition NC MLA from Pahalgam Altaf Kaloo also walked out after the Government did not respond to his question whether there was any proposal to start a Cable car project in the south Kashmir tourist resort.
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