Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 26: The Legislative Assembly and Council today paid glowing tributes to former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, former Governor General (retd) K V Krishna Rao, former speakers of Lok Sabha Balram Jhakar and P A Sangma, three ex-ministers and two former members of the legislature.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Kavinder Gupta, introduced the obituary references for the nine leaders, who had died between the last session of the Assembly in October last year and beginning of the ongoing budget session.
Speaking on the obituary reference, the Speaker said Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was a great politician, a true democrat and an acknowledged statesman who was acquainted with the art of adapting politics according to the needs and circumstances.
While paying tributes to the former Governor of the State Late General KV Krishna Rao, Gupta recalled the significant contribution made by Gen Rao in early 90’s in restoring peace and democracy in the turmoil-hit State. The Speaker while paying rich tributes to former Union Minister and Parliamentarian, Balram Jakhar said he was a popular leader and his contribution towards enriching the parliamentary democracy in the country besides the social service will be remembered by the generations to come.
He also paid tributes to former Lok Sabha Speaker, P A Sangma and former ministers Choudhary Lal Mohammad Sabir, Mohammad Khalil Jowhar and Dr Romesh Chander Sharma.
Speaking on the obituary reference in the house, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said that it is the strength of Indian democracy that Assembly paid tributes to former Minister Mohammad Khalil Jowhar who was once associated with Plebiscite Front that advocated holding of a referendum in the State for deciding its future and on other hand the house is paying tributes to Thakur Sehdev who was a member of Praja Parishad and RSS which advocated complete merger of the State in the Union.
Dr Singh while paying rich tributes to former Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, termed him as a great visionary and said he played a significant role in strengthening democratic institutions in the State.
He also paid rich tributes to the two-time former Governor of the State, Late Gen KV Krishna Roa, Ex Speakers, Lok Sabha, Balram Jakhar, PA Sangma, Ex Ministers, Ch Lal Muhammad Sabir, Muhammad Khalil Jawahar, Dr Ramesh Chander Sharma besides legislators, Sehdev Singh and Muhammad Maqbool Muhjoo.
Earlier, initiating the tributes, senior National Conference leader, Mohammad Shafi Uri said Mufti had a glittering political career. Uri chose to use the occasion to highlight the need for finding a solution to the Kashmir problem saying Mufti forming a regional party, PDP, was a message to the Delhi establishment that Jammu and Kashmir has a special status and special identity.
Uri said the greatest tribute to Mufti would be when all the members of the Assembly sit together and find out a solution to the Jammu and Kashmir issue. “Only then peace and reconciliation is possible,” he added.
Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar termed the former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed as a great visionary who worked on a single mandate to connect hearts, regions and people.
He recalled his long association with Sayeed that started in 1986. “He was an entire school of politics in itself and anybody who entered the school left as a knowledgeable person,” he said. The Minister called Mufti Sayeed a saint of politics as he was a unique leader who was not after acquiring properties or building assets. “He never talked ill of others and even in their absence he would highlight the best qualities of his political opponents,” he said.
He also paid his respects to K V Krishna Rao, Balram Jakhar and P A Sangma, Ex Speakers of Lok Sabha, Choudhary Lal Mohammed Sabir ex-minister, Mohammed Khalil Jowhar ex-minister, Dr Romesh Chander Sharma ex-minister, Sehdev Singh ex-MLA, and Mohammed Maqbool Muhjoo ex-MLA.
Paying rich tributes to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and R&B, Abdul Rehman Veeri said that “leaders like Mufti Sayeed aren’t born overnight.” “Mufti Sayeed was an institution and he was never bothered about chair and power. He always believed in integrity, honesty and upright politics,” he said.
Congress leader G M Saroori used the occasion to point out delay in release of aid to the flood victims by the Centre. “Mufti Sayeed died while looking for the file of flood relief,” he said.
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of CPI(M) said the most important contribution of Mufti was to promote dissent in politics. “In presence of the towering personality of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, he dared to do politics of a different point of view,” he added.
Sat Sharma of the BJP said Mufti was one politician who did principled politics. “We are mostly first time MLAs but whenever we went to meet him (Mufti), he showered affection on us. He wanted peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma said.
Independent MLA from Langate Sheikh Abdul Rashid also participated in the obituary reference.
In the Legislative Council, Chairman said that the contribution rendered by the Mufti Sayeed is historic and would be remembered for years to come.
While paying tributes to Late General K V Krishna Rao, ex-Governor of J&K State, ex-Speakers of Lok Sabha Balram Jakhar and P A Sangma, ex-Minister Choudhary Lal Mohammad Sabir, ex-minister Mohammad Khalil Jowhar, ex-Minister Dr Ramesh Chander Sharma, ex-MLA Sehdev Singh and ex-MLA Mohammad Maqbool Mohjoo, the Chairman said that their role in the socio-political circles is well known and will be remembered for times to come.
Paying glowing tributes to Mufti, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Bali Bhagat, said he had dedicated his entire life for the development and political empowerment of the people of the State, besides ensuring that the benefit of various developmental initiatives reaches to the people.
The Deputy Chairman Legislative Council, Jehangir Hussain Mir, also paid rich tributes to the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and described him as a visionary leader whose political thought was ahead of the times. “He was a person with political thought and always spoke and advocated oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Mir.
Legislators, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, Ramesh Arora, Saifullah Bhat, Mohammad Muzaffar Parray, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Dr Bashir Ahmad Shah (Veeri), Sham Lal Bhagat, Naresh Kumar Gupta, Ashok Khujaria, Ajatshatru Singh, Surinder Ambardar, Yashpal Sharma, Vibodh Gupta, Surinder Chaudhary, Sofi Yousuf, Charanjeet Singh Khalsa, Khursheed Aalam, Vikram Aditya Singh, Fridous Ahmad Tak and Dharam Veer Singh Obroi also paid rich tributes to Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel