CM says his Govt has no control on Police
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Mar 11: As the entire BJP staged a walkout from Assembly amid ruckus and war of words with the ruling National Conference over the baton charge on protesting daily wagers, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reminded the opposition members that his Government does not hold control over the Police.
“They (daily wagers) are our employees and their regularizatrion is a humanitarian issue. As far as lathicharge on them is concerned, such an incident should not have taken place, but the Police is neither under your control nor ours,” he said while intervening in the House as all the BJP members were on feet registering their anguish over the Police action.
The Chief Minister further said that instead of creating a ruckus inside the House, it would have been better if the opposition members raised the matter a few kilometres from there (referring to the Raj Bhawan), where the actual control lies.
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The trouble erupted immediately after the Question Hour when BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa stood from his seat raising the issue of daily wagers. He was supported by other BJP members, who accused the Government of forcing daily wagers to take to streets for their regularization and release of wages.
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Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma and Sham Lal Sharma alleged that despite promises made by the National Conference, the budget had nothing for the daily wagers.
The BJP members were countered by ruling NC MLAs who accused the former of doing nothing for the daily wagers in the last 10 years.
As the war of words between BJP and NC members intensified, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said that NC Government had employed these daily wagers and would ensure their regularisation also.
“For the last 10 years, these people kept knocking your (BJP) doors and pleading, but you did nothing for them and now for playing to the gallery and photo opportunity, their issue is being raised in the House,” he said and reiterated that Omar Government was committed for regularization of all the daily wagers.
BJP MLA and former Minister Sham Lal Sharma countered the National Conference argument of its sincerity and alleged that the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted in 2014 for looking into the issue of daily wagers had preferred extending retirement age of the Government employees from 58 to 60 years than regularizing the daily wagers.
Even as the Chief Minister sought to pacify the members by asking them to wait for his budget reply and also condemned Police action, Balwant Singh Mankotia asked the Government to explain why such a situation arrived.
It led to allegations and counter allegation between the National Conference and BJP members and soon the House plunged into chaos with heated verbal exchange. Some members also hurled derogatory abuses against each other though Speaker Abdul Rehman Rather later expunged such remarks.
Shouting slogans, all the BJP members moved towards well of the House and soon staged a walkout.
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