Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, June 14: Cutting across party lines, the Members Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from both treasury benches and opposition stormed into the Well of the House this morning and later staged walkout over reservation in promotions in Government jobs in the State.
The issue of demand for restoration of the reservation in promotion in Government jobs in the State was raised by four Congress members led by Nawang Rigzin Jora.
Congress MLA, GM Saroori, demanded that Question Hour be suspended and a special one hour debate be held on the issue in the House. He said that Government should take this issue seriously as 40 percent of the people of the State are under Reserved Category. He accused Government of not following the case in the court seriously.
Besides two members of the National Conference, the Congress MLAs also found support from ruling BJP and PDP members whose constituencies have significant number of voters from reserved categories. Five members of BJP, three from PDP and one Independent also stormed into the Well of the House.
However, Speaker Kavinder Gupta assured the agitating MLAs that the Government will make a statement on the issue and the MLAs returned to their seats.
They again returned to the Well of the House after Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone, told the House that the issue is sub-judice and can’t be discussed.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta, however, did not pay any heed to the demands of the MLAs, who were in the Well of the House and staged a dharna and resorted to sloganeering.
Jora even conducted mock proceedings in the Well, allowing the protesting members to speak against the ending of reservation in promotions. He said the reservations in promotions were being ended “by subterfuge as the State counsel had not put forth any arguments (before the High Court)”.
Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan intervened in the matter and informed the House that since the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, it cannot be discussed in the Assembly. He quoted the relevant Sections of the business rule book in support of his statement but to no avail.
Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, who was not presiding at that time, said if the media could discuss the issue, why not the Assembly! “The Central Government amended the Constitution to restore the reservations. Why does not the Government here do it by extending a Presidential order?”, he asked.
The Law Minister, however, stuck to the stand that the House can deliberate on the matter only after the apex court has delivered its verdict on it. The agitated MLA later staged walk out from the Assembly.
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