Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 16: The Opposition members from National Conference and Congress boycotted the proceedings of the Legislative Council for marshalling out National Conference Legislator, Sajjd Ahmed Kichloo and held protest at the entrance of Legislature Complex here today.
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All the NC members including Sajjad Kichloo, Ali Mohd Dar, Aga Sayed Mehmood, Qaisar Jamsheed Lone, Showkat Ganai and Congress members- Ghulam Nabi Monga, Naresh Kumar Gupta, Mohd Muzaffar Parray, Thakur Balbir Singh, Sham Lal Bhagat and Rani Gargi Billoria sat on the main stairs of Legislature complex at Civil Secretariat at around 11 AM and started protest against Chairman, Haji Anayat Ali.
They were shouting slogans “Marshal Sarkar Hai Hai” and ” Sarkari Chairman Hai Hai, democracy Ko restore karo…..”. They also spoke to the media and expressed that Chairman was not behaving like custodian of entire House. He was favouring only members from Treasury Benches and ignoring the Opposition.
The members boycotted the House proceedings for the entire day today again. On Monday, they had staged walk out when the Chairman ordered to marshal out senior NC member Sajjad Kichloo. Yesterday also, the Upper House proceedings were carried without opposition and today again, the Chairman conducted proceedings without opposition.
Talking to media-persons Monga said, “If the Minister has failed to give a satisfactory reply in the House, the member has a right to ask supplementary but we don’t know from where the Chairman got the directions and Mr Kichloo was marshalled out.”
He said the member’s concern was only constitution of House Committee. He neither created any ruckus nor damaged any property in the House then why was he marshalled out?
“We want the Chairman to seek an apology and frame the House Committee,” Monga maintained.
NC member Kichloo said the Chairman is the custodian of the House and not the representative of any party.
“We will not attend the House unless the Chairman apologises and announces House Committee so that members visit Kishtwar district where hydel power projects are being constructed and see things on ground,” Kichloo added.
“The Chairman cannot suppress the voice of the opposition and he has to be impartial. But surprisingly, the attitude of the Chairman towards opposition is unaccommodating and bias,” Kichloo said.
He claimed that the proceedings in the Council were conducted undemocratically in the absence of opposition.
Meanwhile, when the Question Hour was in progress today, the PDP member from Kishtwar, Firdous Tak stood up and condemned the incident with regard to marshal out of NC Member Sajjad Kichloo on Monday. Tak said he was not present in the House on Monday but came to know that Mr Sajjad raised the genuine concern of the people from Kishtwar who are being displaced due to construction of hydel power projects. He was seeking rehabilitation plan for the people.
Tak further said, earlier, they were in Government and were unable to speak now in opposition when they are raising public concern they should be provided space to speak on such public issues. The Chairman claimed that he has already agreed for holding half an hour discussion on the subject and if the members are not satisfied then he could think on setting up of House Committee.
Later, when the Question Hour was over, some of the members from PDP and BJP pleaded the Chairman to send some members to talk to protesting opposition members and bring them back to the House. The Chairman then asked Mr Tak, Minister for RDD Abdul Haq Khan, Zafar Iqbal Manhas, Ramesh Arora and some others to hold talks with NC-Congress members and bring them back.
For this, the Chairman adjourned the House for five minutes at 12.02 pm. However, after long dialogue with the protesting members, the matter could not be resolved. They were pressing for an apology from the Chairman and constitution of House Committee. A four- member committee of NC-Congress also held talks with Chairman in his office chamber later but the matter could not be resolved.
Later, the House resumed business after 50 minutes instead of five, with the resumption of discussion on Budget speech of Finance Minister.
A senior NC member when contacted in the evening, claimed that dead lock still persists and the matter has not been resolved. He said in his official chamber
During meeting the Chairman regretted the incident but has not made commitment for announcing House committee. “We have stressed for the Committee and nothing less than it,” the NC member maintained.
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