Boycotts CM’s reply on Guv Address in Assembly
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 10: Oppos-ition parties including National Conference and Congress today staged walk-out in both Houses of the Legislature after holding massive protests from their seats and in the Well of the House during Question Hour against killing of civilians and human rights violations in the Kashmir Valley and growing discontentment in Jammu and Ladakh regions
Opposition parties staged walk-out from the Legislative Assembly twice after massive sloganeering and protest over killing of civilians in Kashmir valley and growing discontentment in Jammu and Ladakh regions. They also boycotted the Chief Minister’s reply on Governor’s Address and said that PDP-BJP Coalition Government has no right to rule the State.
As soon as the House assembled for the day, Abdul Majeed Bhat (Larmi) of National Conference raised the banner reading “stop innocent killings” amidst anti-Government slogans from other members of the main Opposition party.
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They were immediately joined by the Congress, CPM and PDF Members, who too started shouting slogans against the PDP-BJP Coalition Government for its alleged failure to stop innocent killings in the Valley.
Referring to death of a youth in firing by the security forces following killing of a militant in South Kashmir yesterday, National Conference MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar said, “the Government is claiming of normalizing the situation in Kashmir valley but the fact remains that situation has worsened”. He wanted to know when the spree of killings will come to an end in the Valley.
In the meanwhile, amidst anti-Government slogans, some National Conference and Congress MLAs entered the Well of the House. “We want a debate on the prevailing situation in the Kashmir valley”, they demanded, adding “the Ministers are giving statements outside the House claiming that Opposition has been left with no issue but in the House they are not ready to hold debate on the Kashmir situation as if killing of innocents is not an issue for them”.
As there was no response from the treasury benches more National Conference and Congress MLAs trooped into the Well of the House asking the Speaker to allow debate. However, they failed to get any positive response either from the Government or from the Chair.
“Kashmir is on fire, Jammu smoldering and Ladakh weeping but the Government as well as Chair want us to remain mum”, said National Conference MLA from Nagrota.
Referring to use of force against protesting National Health Mission employees yesterday, Rana said, “it is unfortunate that the Government is using batons in Jammu and bullets in Kashmir. There is discontentment in the Ladakh region also”. What sort of governance the PDP-BJP is providing to the people of the State?, he asked.
“Earlier you had disallowed our Adjournment Motion on Kashmir situation and now you are not asking the Government to come up with the statement on the innocent killings”, said another National Conference MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar.
Though Speaker Kavinder Gupta assured that Government will give reply after Question Hour yet protest from the Opposition parties continued. Even MLA from Udhampur Pawan Gupta joined the National Conference and Congress and said, “entire Government machinery has collapsed”.
After disrupting the Question Hour for half an hour entire Opposition staged walkout. In the meanwhile, independent MLA Engineer Rashid entered the Well of the House in protest against the killings in Kashmir valley. However, he was marshaled out on the directions of the Speaker.
Soon after the Question Hour, the National Conference and Congress MLAs returned the House and sought reply from the Government. “The Chair had assured that Government will come up with the statement but the Ministers are completely silent”, Devender Singh Rana said and asked the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Rehman Veeri to respect the House by acting on the directions of the Chair.
On this, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, “we are equally concerned over the killing of civilian in yesterday’s incident and an inquiry has also been ordered”. However, he was interrupted by the agitating Opposition MLAs, who said, “Magistrate inquiry is only a farce”.
Not satisfied with the reply, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, “we read in the media that the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was grieved over the killing of civilian”, adding “it would have been better if she would have attended the House and uttered few words over the incident rather than issuing statements in the media”.
“We are not going to listen her reply on Governor’s Address as by not making any statement in the House she has shown her non-serious approach”, Omar said, adding “at least I will not be attending the House during her speech”.
He then left the House following which all the National Conference and Congress MLAs staged walkout for the second time.
Talking to media-persons outside the Legislative Assembly, Omar Abdullah said that PDP-BJP Government had no right to remain in chair if they felt that civilian killings were not an issue to be discussed in the House.
He said, “in my Government when such incidents happen, I know how I used to feel but I never said that it was not an issue”, adding “Opposition was expecting the Chief Minister to say a few words on the civilian killings in the House as she is also the Chairperson of the Unified Command. She came to the House only when I made a point but by that time it was too late”.
On a question that BJP had said that anybody picks up the gun will meet the same fate, Omar asked, “was the man killed on Tuesday carrying a gun? Was he a terrorist?”, adding “the Parliamentary Affairs Minister has himself claimed in the House that the civilian killed in the firing was innocent”.
Meanwhile, NC and Congress also staged massive protest and walkout from the Upper House alleging failure on the part of the State Government in preventing civilian killings and human rights violations in Kashmir.
The trouble in the Legislative Council began when the NC and Congress members stood up from their benches immediately after the Chairman entered and commenced normal business. The NC members led by Sajjad Kichloo, Showkat Ganai and Qaisar Lone started protest and demanded framing of House Committee on the Kulgam killing incident.
Chairman Haji Anayat Ali asked them to sit down and allow Question Hour. Congress member G N Monga and Naresh Gupta asserted in the House that BJP member G L Raina be asked to tender apology as he had passed some derogatory remarks against a top Congress leader, Ghulam Nabi Azad. The Congress members also held protest on this issue though they were equally supporting NC on the killing.
As the Chairman did not pay much attention towards their pleas, then NC members trooped into the Well of the Council and started anti-government sloganeering, disrupted the proceedings. They raised slogans, ‘Bullet Sarkar Hai Hai,….. Qatil Sarkar… Hai Hai, Pellet Sarkar Hai Hai…….. and so on. Showkat Ganai tore the papers lying on the table of Secretary and his staff but he was over powered by the watch and ward staff.
The Congress members also trooped into the Well of the House demanding a statement from the government over the killing of a youth in south Kashmir yesterday.
They expressed anger over the death of a 20-year-old youth allegedly in firing by security forces following the killing of a militant in Khudwani area of Kulgam district.
Giving statement in the Council, Minister for Agriculture Production Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura expressed deep anguish over the killing of Khalid Hussain Dar of Redwani Payeen and said that Magisterial inquiry has been ordered. He said another youth was injured in the incident. The things will be clear when the inquiry is over. He condemned the incident..
After raising slogans for nearly half-an-hour, the entire opposition staged a walkout despite repeated pleas by the Chairman and Minister besides Leader of the House Naeem Akhtar who also intervened twice.
The watch and ward staff tried to restrain the protesting opposition members even as the ruckus disrupted proceedings. One of the opposition members went to the Well of the House, tore a paper and threw the bits up in the air towards the Well of the House
The protesting Congress members however, turned calm after BJP member G L Raina clarified his position and said that he had no intension to hurt anybody. He had just quoted words of others in Kashmiri and if it has hurt sentiments of any member he felt regret for it.
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