Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Oct 10: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today intervened and silenced the opposition who disrupted proceedings of the House by coming into the Well of the Legislative Assembly during Question Hour over the reservations in Block Development Councils (BDCs) of Panchayats.
As soon as the Question Hour began, the National Panthers Party (NPP), Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), expelled BJP and independent MLAs from Jammu region led by Harshdev Singh rose up on their feet, demanding reservation of Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Women in the BDC elections.
As 12 MLAs came into the Well of the House and disrupted the proceedings, angry Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stood up and intervened to silence the opposition. Directing his anger towards these MLAs, he said that their shouting and uproar will not make any difference. “Raising of such issues at this point in time only amounts to derailing the process of constituting BDCs and empowering Panchayats in the State”, he added.
“We are determined to empower Panchayats”, the Chief Minister told the House. He said Government would not stop moving ahead in this direction even if anyone wishes so by raising noise in the House pretending to be well-wisher of SC/STs.
“You are not well-wisher of SC/STs. You are scared of Panchayat empowerment. It is your weakness that is why you did not raise such questions when the elections to Panchayats were held with reservation only for Panchs and not for Sarpanchs”, the Chief Minister told Harshdev Singh.
The Chief Minister said that the process of empowerment of Panchayats would continue and efforts by certain sections against this would be foiled. He said that elections to Block Development Councils (BDC) will be held as per schedule.
Not satisfied with the Chief Minister’s remarks, the slogan shouting MLAs walked out of the Assembly to register their protest.
Earlier while pleading for reservation to SC, ST and women in BDCs, Harshdev Singh said: “We are not against holding of elections to BDCs but under the constitution, there should be reservation for reserved category first.”
The NPP MLA said in 143 seats of BDCs chairmen, 12 should be reserved for SC and ST and women should be given 33 percent reservation in the BDC polls scheduled to be held in the first week of next month.
There is no reservation for women, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the BDCs and women under the present Panchayati Raj Act. The NPP and BJP are demanding reserving the seats for these classes in the forthcoming polls.
The protesting MLAs said that there is resentment and protest in their constituencies over the issue of reservation in the BDC polls. MLA Harshdev Singh said that it should be reconsidered. He said that they don’t want BDC polls without reservation.
The NPP MLA while pointing at the Congress MLAs said that why are they silent over the issue if they are raising the bogey of the implementation of the 73rd amendment in the State Act. BJP MLA Jugal Kishore also asked about the stand of the Congress on the issue of reservations.
The Congress MLA G A Mir while clearing the party stand in the House said that his party is satisfied with the reply of Panchayat Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar on the empowerment of the Panchayats to the House. “Our stand is same inside and outside the House. We want empowerment of Panchayats”, he added.
The NPP, BJP, expelled BJP and independent opposition MLAs from Jammu province kept shouting during when Speaker allowed People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member Peerzada Mansoor Hussain to ask his question on Tourism. MoS Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani, also replied but nothing was heard in the din.
The MLAs later stormed into the Well of the House and started raising slogans, demanding reservation. It is at this time when the Chief Minister intervened to silence the opposition.
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