Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 25: Yesterday’s Cabinet decision on red beacons on cars in Jammu and Kashmir, which excluded the MLAs but included the bureaucrats down from then in the Warrant of Precedence today drew a flak in the Legislative Assembly with MLAs cutting across their political affiliations protesting the decision and refusing to come to the House for nearly 45 minutes after adjournment by the Speaker stalling proceedings of the House.
Proceedings of the Assembly began only after a senior Cabinet Minister assured the MLAs sitting in the Assembly lobby that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would make an announcement on their demands shortly.
However, in his series of tweets on protests by the MLAs in the Assembly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on the micro-blogging site tweeter during adjournment of the House that there really is nothing sinister in the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet decision regarding red beacons on the cars.
“It’s (the Cabinet decision taken yesterday) is in line with the Supreme Court directive. The Supreme Court had ordered States to trim their lists of red beacon users and that is exactly what J&K Cabinet did yesterday.
“Personally I don’t use a red beacon on my vehicles and I don’t plan to start now either,’’ Omar said.
He added: “Frankly why would anyone want to use a red beacon on their car in this day and age. To protest for the right to use one is tragic and laughable’’.
After 15 minutes massive protests in the Legislative Assembly, which were confined to Opposition PDP, BJP, NPP and JSM, which was opposing the revival of ‘lal batti’ (red light) culture in the State despite the Supreme Court guidelines, during Question Hour, protests intensified in the House around 12.30 pm when the Speaker was about to take legislations for passing.
Instead of Opposition, it was the Congress MLA from Inderwal and former Minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, who raised the issue this time saying when the Chief Secretary, who figured behind the legislators in the Warrants of Precedence has been authorized to use red light, why the MLAs have been deprived of this privilege.
Within seconds, several Alliance MLAs including Surjit Singh Slathia, Abdul Gani Malik, Javed Dar (all former Ministers), Rashpal Singh, Irfan Shah, Peer Afaq, Aijaz Jan (all National Conference), Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, Ashok Kumar and Krishan Chander Bhagat (Congress) apart from all Opposition MLAs of PDP, BJP, NPP and JSM were on their feet protesting the decision on red lights.
Speaker Mubarak Gul told the MLAs that the decision has been taken as per the apex court guidelines and there was no scope. Nevertheless, he said, he has already directed Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar to intervene.
“Now all are ‘aam aadmi’ (common man). Get mixed up with the people,’’ Mr Gul told the agitated MLAs but it had no impact on the latter, who continue protests.
Most of the NC and Congress MLAs had mixed up with the Opposition members and were on the front row. Mr Gul asked the Government to intervene.
Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said the decision was taken as it was mandatory to implement the Supreme Court order within a stipulated period.
Justifying concerns of the members, he said the Supreme Court order has not permitted the red lights either for MPs or MLAs. “Can we afford to violate the Supreme Court order’’? he asked and said there was a way out to challenge the Supreme Court order, which can’t be done by the Government. “They (the MLAs) can challenge the order. Whatever the outcome will be acceptable to all,’’ he asserted.
Mr Rather said the Government want the MLAs to give the red light privilege but can’t do so on the directions of the Supreme Court. On the red light given to the Chief Secretary, he said the decision has been taken as the Centre has approved it in favour of the Cabinet Secretary.
Mr Gul reminded the agitated MLAs that even the Home Minister has stated that the people don’t like to see the red lights and he won’t keep it.
Several MLAs including Harshdev Singh, Ashwani Sharma Choudhary Zulfikar said the Chief Secretary, the DGP and the Advocate General fall below in the protocol from the MLAs but they have been allowed to use red light, which, they described, as clear violation of the Warrant of Precedence.
Some of the MLAs said they didn’t want the red light but the Government has humiliated them by allowing red light to be used by three persons, who were below them in the protocol.
“This is breach of privilege of the MLAs,’’ Harshdev Singh remarked.
NPP member Balwant Singh Mankotia charged the Government with implementing the apex court guidelines where it suits them.
“The Government has not implemented the Supreme Court order on Talwara migrants,’’ he said.
Harshdev pointed out that the MLA occupied Constitutional posts where as the Chief Secretary and the DGP didn’t. “The Centre has to reply to the Supreme Court on grant of red light to the Cabinet Secretary while here the State had to reply for the Chief Secretary,’’ he said.
Mr Gul directed the Government to examine the sanction of red-light to the Chief Secretary, the DGP and the AG.
As there was no let up in the protests, Mr Gul adjourned the House for 10 minutes at 12.39 pm.
After 10 minutes, the Assembly staff continued to ring bells but the MLAs refused to turn up as a mark of protest.
Only few Ministers including Mr Rather, GH Mir, Sakina Itoo, Feroz Khan and NC MLA AG Malik were seen sitting in the House.
The House resumed the proceedings after 46 minutes and the MLAs took up their seats with calm.
Sources said a senior Minister had assured the MLAs that the Chief Minister would make an announcement on their demand soon.
Earlier in the morning as soon as the House began its proceedings, all Opposition members of PDP, BJP, NPP and JSM were on their feet shouting ‘Lal Batti Nahin Chalegi’.
PDF MLA and former Minister Hakim Mohammad Yasin, who also joined the protests regretted that the MLAs had been ignored while the CS and the DGP had been allowed to use red light.
PDP leader Abdul Rehman Veeri said the House prestige has been lowered with the decision. His party colleague Peer Mansoor Shah also echoed the same sentiments.
JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma also regretted the Government decision.
CPM MLA MY Tarigami said the VIP culture has destroyed the State and let us start to end it from here.
Mr Gul told the members that he as a MLA used to travel in the matador to Civil Secretariat. He advised the MLAs not to make it an issue.
Intervening, Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said the Government has always taken care of prestige of the MLAs and yesterday’s Cabinet decision was taken keeping in view the Supreme Court guidelines. He was countered by Harshdev Singh, who said the Supreme Court guidelines had been violated.
After 15 minutes of protests, all BJP, NPP and JSM MLAs staged a walk-out in the House while the PDP MLAs resumed their seats leading to start of the Question Hour.
Meanwhile, Independent MLA from Langet was today marshaled out of the Assembly for disrupting proceedings over the alleged wrongful declaration by the Government on fuel consumption of his security vehicle.
Engineer Rashid raised the issue that the Home Department, in reply to a question, had shown bills on consumption of fuel of security vehicle worth Rs 2.5 lakh in his name.
he said this was false as he has not been in possession of a security vehicle for over three years.
Speaker Mubarak Gul said the issue has already been brought to the notice of the Government and they were inquiring into it.
However, Mr Rashid protested over the matter and marched into the well of the House forcing the Speaker to ask his marshals to take him out as he was repeatedly disrupting the proceedings.
Accordingly, the MLA was marshaled out of the House.
However, after about one and a half hours when MY Tarigami was in the Chair in the absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, he directed the marshals to allow Engineer Rashid to join proceedings of the House.
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