Dy Speaker refuses action against Watch & Ward staff

Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Feb 3: As the fact finding report held MLA Langate Engineer Abdul Rashid  guilty of the unruly behaviour and using abusive language, which led to alleged misbehaviour  with him during proceedings of the House on January 16,   Deputy Speaker Legislative Assembly today rejected the plea of some opposition Members for action against the Watch and Ward staff.
“Watch and Ward staff was performing  their legitimate duty as the Chair had  directed them to take him (Engineer Rashid) out of the House because of  unruly behaviour of  the Member,” said Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, who was in the Chair, after reading out fact-finding report in respect of alleged misbehaviour  with  Er Rashid, which was presented in the House.
The Deputy Speaker also rejected the NC MLA Altaf Ahmad Kalloo’s repeated demand for  action against one of the officials of the Watch and Ward, who was present in the lobby and had prevented Engineer Rashid to enter into the House.
Though CPI (M) MLA Mohd Yusuf Tarigami and  some other Members also expressed their concern over the January 16 incident and stressed that restrain should be maintained during proceedings of the House,  Altaf Kalloo pressed for action against Watch and Ward staff, particularly the one who was present in the lobby and had not been directed by the Chair.
However, the Deputy Speaker not only refused to consider his plea but also maintained that the MLA (Er Rashid) should behave  properly  for maintaining decorum of the House. “Member has no right to use abusive language against the Chair as well as Watch and Ward staff,  who were only doing their duty,” he stressed.
The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, A R Veeri also  informed that House that he had telephonically contacted Er Rashid and expressed regret over the incident besides requesting him to  re-join proceedings of the House.
Pertinent to mention that MLA Langate has not been participating in proceedings of the Legislative Assembly after  January 16 incident, when he was allegedly misbehaved  by the Watch and Ward staff while trying to prevent him from creating unruly scene in the House.
As per the fact-finding report,  submitted by Security Wing to the Secretary J&K Legislative Assembly, Jammu,  the incident took place on January 16, 2018 during  proceeding  of the House in second sitting when Er Rashid came into the Well of the House and disrupted the proceedings.
The Deputy Speaker, who was in the Chair, directed the Assistant Director (Security) to take the MLA away from the House. Adhering  to the directions of the Chair, the Watch and Ward staff members requested the MLA to come out of the House on his own but facing stiff resistance, they were having no option except to take him away forcibly and bring him into the adjacent corridor.  During the course of said process, the MLA caught hold of the door panels and perhaps his finger got stuck between two door panels even as watch and Ward staff took utmost care and ensured overall safety of the Member.
Thereafter, Er Rashid resorted to shouting in the corridor, used abusive and offensive language against the Chair as well as Watch and Ward staff . Besides, a number of times he kicked the door,  separating the Main Assembly Hall from the Assembly Lobby and damaged its hinges, fact-finding report said, adding that the act can be substantiated from the fact that the door hinges were replaced later. As the MLA was continuously trying to enter into the House, the Watch and Ward staff took him out from the corridor into the Assembly lobby to prevent him from re-entering.
One of the officials of the Watch and Ward, present  in the lobby,  tried his level best to pacify the agitating MLA and  also served him two bottles of water, which  the later in the rage of anger threw back on the former.  The MLA again stood up and tried to enter the House but he was stopped by the concerned staff, who also requested him not to use abusive language against them.
Even as one Section Officer of the Assembly Secretariat present in the lobby,  sought to intervene and requested the MLA  not to use abusive language against the Watch and Ward staff as they were performing their legitimate duty, Er Rahid  labeled him as an outsider and refused to pay any heed  besides leaving the Assembly lobby.
Some of the journalists, present in the Central Hall had also video-graphed the incident.

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