Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 4: The ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders today engaged in a heated exchange in the Legislative Assembly over the use of an “unparliamentary” remark by a BJP legislator, which was later ordered to be expunged from the official record by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
The issue came up during discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the Lieutenant Governor’s address when BJP MLA from RS Pura-Jammu South Assembly segment, Dr Narinder Singh, blamed the ruling dispensation of rampant corruption in the Government departments.
He particularly projected the grievances of the public regarding the unabated mining in the Jammu-South Constituency, claiming the concerned Minister was overlooking these concerns, owing to which a large area in his Assembly segment has been washed away in the recent floods.
To describe the situation, Singh used an “unparliamentary” remark, which was strongly objected to by the Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, who claimed the BJP leader should blame the Deputy Commissioners, Senior Superintendents of Police, and District Mineral Officers concerned instead of him, as they were responsible for the mess and not him.
While addressing the Speaker, Choudhary requested that the “unparliamentary” word was expunged from the Assembly record.
As more BJP legislators backed Dr Narinder Singh’s assertions, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and several NC legislators, including Altaf Ahmed Wani (Altaf Kuloo), Abdul Majid Larmi, Hilal Akbar Lone, among others, stood up from their seats and demanded that the “controversial” remark be expunged.
With the situation escalating and members from both sides engaging in a verbal spat, the Speaker rose from his chair and told Dr Narinder Singh that, being a senior member of the House, he should not have used such language.
He then directed the Assembly Secretariat to expunge the “objectionable remark” from the Assembly records.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
