Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 12: An unprecedented pandemonium rocked the Legislative Assembly today in both the sittings as Opposition members trooped into Well of the House, threw benches, captured the table of Assembly reporters and officers including the Secretary, snatched mikes and indulged in massive sloganeering as PDP protested the statement of Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde that the body of 2001 Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru wouldn’t be handed over to his family.
Ruling National Conference, which shared power with Congress at both Centre and the State, also reiterated the demand for return of Guru’s body as Jammu Opposition including the BJP, NPP, BJP breakaway group and JSM affectively countered both National Conference and PDP on disrupting proceedings of the House over the Home Minister’s statement on return of Guru’s body.
In a virtual free-for-all situation created by the Opposition in the House, Speaker Mubarak Gul passed grants worth Rs 13396.14 crore for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Departments, held by Abdul Rahim Rather in first sitting and Rs 619.86 crore for Forest Department, held by Mian Altaf, in second sitting within 3 minutes each with no debate and Minister’s reply amidst a complete chaos in which only the Speaker’s voice or the slogans were audible. Total grants of the two Ministries passed in just six minutes amounted to Rs 14016 crores.
While the Congress remained silent during first sitting of the Assembly when Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde was being repeatedly targeted by both NC and PDP with NC MLA Shamima Firdous going to the extent of describing Mr Shinde’s statement as “irresponsible”, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister and Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma, in the second sitting, took strong exception to some members calling Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as ‘Saheb’ and ‘shaheed’ and was supported by other Congress members. Housing Minister Raman Bhalla also had heated exchanges with slogan shouting Independent MLA Engineer Rashid and tried to catch hold of him before the Marshals removed the latter from the House.
The Speaker adjourned the Assembly twice during first sitting before finally adjourning the House at 11.38 for the third time till second sitting amidst complete ruckus in which the Assembly passed grants of Finance Ministry. The trouble continued in the second sitting when it started at 3 pm. Mr Gul adjourned the House for the day within 12 minutes after passing grants of the Forest Department amidst massive sloganeering by the Opposition members.
Though there was trouble in the Assembly right from the beginning when it resumed sitting for the day, it reached at its peak after the House met at 11.30 am after two adjournments and the Speaker asked Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir to make a statement.
As Mr Mir started making the statement and referred to Afzal Guru as `Saheb’, all MLAs of BJP, NPP, BJP breakaway group and JSM were on their feet and left their seats. “What Saheb, Kahan Ka Saheb. He was a Parliament attack convict”, BJP MLAs Ashok Khajuria and Jugal Kishore shouted.
Within seconds, the PDP members, who were protesting from their seats, trooped into Well of the House shouting “Afzal Guru Ki Jaste Khaki Ko Waapis Karo, Waapis Karo’. All Opposition member of Jammu also took to the Well with NPP leaders Harshdev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia and Yashpal Kundal shouting `Riyasati Assembly Ko Bhang Karo, Bhang Karo’ and lone JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma demanding separate statehood for Jammu.
Engineer Rashid was already in Well of the House repeatedly thumping the table of reporters and officers of the Assembly and shouting slogans.
Even as the Law Minister continued to make his statement, a number of MLAs from different Opposition parties including Javed Mustafa Mir, Liaquat Choudhary, Peer Mansoor Shah (PDP), Jugal Kishore (BJP), Master Lal Chand and Durga Dass (BJP breakaway group) captured the table of Assembly reporters and officers including the Secretary Assembly and stood on it shouting slogans, leading to unruly scene and high pitched verbal duel.
Finding no option, the reporters and officers of the Assembly left their seats as their table and chairs were captured by the Opposition MLAs, who were atop the table. Other Opposition MLAs were on top of their benches. A number of PDP MLAs reached close to the Speaker’s podium and continued shouting demanding that the House passed a Resolution seeking return of mortal remains of Guru. The Assembly Secretary also left his seat as entire table was controlled by the rampaging MLAs.
“No discussion. No debate. We want resolution to be adopted by the Assembly and sent to the Centre for returning mortal remains of Guru”, PDP MLAs Abdul Rehman Veeri, Gaffar Sofi, Basharat Bukhari and Peer Mansoor Shah, shouted. Mr Veeri demanded that the Government should resign as the Centre has refused to listen to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s demand for return of Guru’s mortal remains.
The Speaker made repeated appeals to the protesting MLAs to take their seats but to no avail.
Engineer Rashid removed books and other papers from the table of reporters and officers of the Assembly and also tried repeatedly to snatch mike in front of the Ministers’ seats. He clashed with Marshals and was virtually out of control. While most of the Opposition members were in the Well or standing on table of the reporters and officers, others were standing on their seats and shouting slogans.
The Marshals completely surrounded the Speaker as a number of Opposition MLAs were near the Well.
Finding no end to the protests and sloganeering and counter sloganeering, the Speaker asked Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather to move his grants followed by pass motion. The grants were passed within three minutes with no debate or reply by the Minister as there was complete pandemonium in the House.
“Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vande Mataram and Jo Mangega Pakistan, Usko Milega Kabaristan’ rented the air from the side of Jammu based Opposition while PDP MLAs continued to shout `We want justice for Guru’s family, Adopt resolution on return of Guru’s body in Assembly etc’. A PDP MLA was also heard shouting a religious slogan.
The Speaker adjourned the House for third time at 11.38 am i.e. within eight minutes of resumption after first two adjournments during which a virtual free-for-all situation prevailed in the House. This time he adjourned the House till 3 pm when second sitting of the House was scheduled to take up the grants of Forest Ministry.
As the Assembly resumed its second sitting at 3 pm to take up the grants of the Forest Ministry, all PDP MLAs and Engineer Rashid were again on their feet while PDF MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin was protesting from his seat. In the morning also, Mr Yasin along with CPM MLA MY Tarigami had protested against the Home Minister’s statement from their seats.
PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti was not present in the House during the second sitting. She had left the House after first two adjournments.
As the PDP MLAs again demanded adoption of resolution on return of Guru’s mortal remains, the Speaker asked them to take their seats and don’t compel him to take any harsh decision.
“Your concerns have been recorded. The Law Minister has made the statement. Now allow the House proceedings to go on”, the Speaker said and also regretted the MLAs’ behaviour in the first sitting saying: “you stood on the table, threw mikes. What is this”?”
However, there was no impact of his appeal on the PDP MLAs, who insisted on adoption of the resolution and continued their protests.
As protests again started from PDP and Jammu based Opposition MLAs, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister and Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma broke the silence on part of Congress, whose Home Minister was being targeted repeatedly by NC and PDP MLAs for his yesterday’s statement refusing to handover Guru’s mortal remains to his family.
“I urge the Chair to set procedure for House and use of language. Here some of the members have addressed the Parliament attack convict (Afzal Guru) as `Saheb’ and `Shaheed”’, he said, adding the Chair shall restore sanctity of the House and suspend such MLAs.
Referring to the statement made by a PDP MLA in the morning that they have to decide now whether to stay with Hindustan or not, Mr Sharma said some members are playing with the sentiments. “The MLA should resign first as he had been in the House after taking the oath of Indian and State Constitution, he said.
“It seems they have been rendered political bankrupt and have no issue left”, Mr Sharma said, adding that Rashid has always been taking to the Well and must be shown the door. Sham was supported by Congress MLAs including Indu Pawar, Ashok Kumar and Krishan Chand Bhagat.
Though surrounded by Marshals, all PDP MLAs managed to force their entry again into Well of the House. Engineer Rashid also trooped into the Well. As the Marshals tried to stop Javed Mustafa Mir, his party colleague Basharat Bukhari was seen having heated exchanges with the Marshal.
As Engineer Rashid continued to shout towards the treasury benches, Housing Minister and Congress leader Raman Bhalla had heated exchanges with him and virtually tried to catch hold of him. Immediately thereafter, the Speaker ordered the Marshals to remove Rashid from the House. Rashid was marshaled out.
In the melee, the front portion of the tables on which Ashok Khajuria and Harshdev were sitting fell down as the Marshals tried to prevent the PDP MLAs from reaching close to the Speaker’s podium, which had been surrounded by the Watch and Ward staff.
Mr Gul tried to go ahead with the scheduled business amidst massive furore by taking up the grants of the Forest Ministry. As nothing was audible in the din, the Speaker asked Forest Minister Mian Altaf to move pass motion for the grants.
At this stage, slogans shouting again rocked the House and only ‘We Want Justice for Guru’s Family and Shame, Shame’ was heard from the PDP members while BJP, NPP, JSM and BJP rebels were heard shouting ‘Goondagardhi Naheen Chalegi, Dehshatgardhi Naheen Chalegi, Desh Virodhi Takton Ko Bahar Karo, Bahar Karo’.
In the ruckus, the Speaker declared the grants of the Forest Ministry as passed and adjourned the House for the day within 12 minutes of the second sitting.
Earlier as soon as the House started its proceedings for the day at 10 am today, all PDP MLAs besides CPM’s MY Tarigami, PDF’s Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Independent MLA Engineer Rashid were on their feet protesting against yesterday’s statement by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde turning down the demand for return of mortal remains of Guru.
Mr Gul said he would allow one member each to speak if they allow the House to run.
Speaking, Engineer Rashid said no body in the Centre has bothered about the letter written by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on return of Guru’s mortal remains, which indicated that the State Government was not being taken seriously.
Rashid insisted that the House should pass a resolution seeking return of Guru’s remains. Mr Gul said the resolution will come on time i.e. the day fixed for the resolutions.
“Why the Centre can’t give mortal remains of Guru? What the State Government is doing to bring them back”? PDP MLA Javed Mustafa Mir shouted.
Another PDP MLA Abdul Rehman Veeri said the Government should resign if no body was listening to their demand at the Centre. “On what basis, they (the NC leaders) are sitting on the chair. Why they are hesitating from bringing a resolution in the Assembly seeking return of Guru’s mortal remains”? asked another PDP MLA Syed Bashir.
Mr Gul tried to pacify the agitated MLAs saying the matter was not in the hands of the State Government but it has conveyed concerns of the House to the Government of India.
“This is a sensitive issue. Don’t take the matter so hasty. It could send a wrong signal. You can speak and the State Government would talk to the Centre”, he said and asked the PDP MLAs, who had by then reached into Well of the House, to take their seats and he would listen to them.
Speaking, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat (PDP) charged the Union Home Minister with rubbing salt on wounds of the Kashmiris with his statement that body of Guru wouldn’t be returned to his family.
“Let we decide today whether we have to live with Hindustan. How will we go to Kashmir after the Home Minister’s statement? Let this House pass a resolution to seek return of Guru’s body”, Mr Bhat said.
He added: “this House has no sanctity. We have no voice. The NC has coalition with Union Government still its voice was not being listened. The Union Government has undermined law and Constitution. We have been left with no space. Where should we go”?
On repeated charges by the PDP MLAs that the Home Minister’s statement amounted to “insult of the House” and has “lowered dignity of the Assembly”, Mr Gul remarked: “the House has not been insulted. I will not allow dignity of the House to be lowered”.
As pandemonium reigned supreme with PDP MLAs and Engineer Rashid in the Well and Jammu Opposition MLAs on their seats, JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma said 50,000 people have been killed by the terrorists and nobody in this House has spoken a word about them.
As PDP MLAs continued protests from the Well shouting “Guru Ki Jaste Khaki Ko Waapis Karo, Waapis Karo”, the Jammu Opposition countered them with “Afzal Guru Ka Drama Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo’ and `Guru Pay Siyasat Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo’.
Mr Gul made appeal to the MLAs to allow Question Hour to go on but his demand fell on the deaf ears.
Finding no end to stalemate, the Speaker adjourned the House at 10.19 am for 20 minutes. During the adjournment, several National Conference and Congress Ministers were seen holding serious discussions outside the Assembly with former Speaker and Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone and Law Minister Saifullah Mir in the forefront.
The Assembly resumed exactly after half an hour at 10.49 am and again all PDP MLAs, MY Tarigami, Hakim Mohammad Yasin and Engineer Rashid were on their feet.
Former Minister and PDP MLA Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari describing Guru as ‘Shaheed” (martyr) said they have a simple demand that a resolution be passed in the Assembly and sent to the Government of India for returning mortal remains of Guru.
The BJP and JSM MLAs took strong exception to Guru being called as `Shaheed’ while Congress members remained glued to their seats and made no attempt to counter Ansari notwithstanding the fact that it was Congress led UPA Government, which had executed Guru.
“Srinagar has been converted into a jail. There is terror and fear on all sides. Atrocities are being committed on people. Now, the Government of India can do some mercy on the people by returning mortal remains of Guru”, Mr Ansari said.
National Conference MLA and former Minister Javaid Ahmad Dar reacting to the Union Home Minister’s statement said the stand of the National Conference has been made clear from the very first day by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by writing a letter to the Home Minister that mortal remains of Guru be returned to his family.
“The Assembly has the representative character. The Government of India should feel our sentiments and return the remains of Guru”, Mr Dar said.
Another NC MLA Aijaz Jan said it was the NC, which was genuinely raising the issue for return of Guru’s mortal remains while the PDP was playing politics over it.
Shamima Firdous (NC) while describing statement of the Home Minister as “irresponsible” said the statement was against the sentiments of the people.
“We have to raise our voice. The body of Guru should be returned”, she said.
Hakim Mohammad Yasin (PDF) said one month has lapsed after the execution of Guru and still his body hasn’t been returned to his family. “We want to know what reply the Government of India has given to the Chief Minister’s letter”, he asked.
Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami (CPM) said it was unfortunate that a leader of the level of the Home Minister has given such a statement.
The Speaker advised Mr Tarigami not to name the Union Home Minister as he can’t defend himself in the Assembly.
“It’s not a question of politics. It’s a humanitarian issue. Let the mortal remains of Guru be returned. The Prime Minister has himself said that the issue can be debated. What mandate the Home Minister has to disrespect the Parliament and the Legislative Assembly”, Mr Tarigami asked.
He asserted that there would be no harm if the Assembly passed a resolution seeking return of Guru’s body.
Even as the speakers after speakers including NC MLAs were targeting Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, a veteran Congress leader from Maharashtra, none from the Congress members made any attempt to counter them and listened to his criticism silently till Sham Sharma spoke in the second sitting of the session besides to the media outside after the first sitting.
Engineer Rashid (Independent) said this fact has to be accepted by all that Kashmir is a disputed territory.
As Speaker called Law Minister Saifullah Mir to give reply, all PDP MLAs and Engineer Rashid were on their feet and then trooped into the Well of the House. Similar was the case with Jammu based Opposition, who protested from their seats and started shouting `Afzal Par Siyasat Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo’, `House Ki Proceedings Ko Chalne Do, Chalne Do’.
NPP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia shouted that Jammu should be given a separate Assembly while JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma wanted Jammu to be declared as a separate State.
The Speaker urged the MLAs not to make it a debate as it was a humanitarian issue and wanted them to listen to the statement of Law Minister, which they refused to do. On resolution on Guru, Mr Gul said it would come on time.
To a query by NPP MLA Harshdev Singh whether this Assembly has jurisdiction to discuss the issue of Afzal Guru, Mr Gul said he has the powers to allow discussion.
With sloganeering and counter sloganeering, the Speaker adjourned the House for second time at 11.01 am for 20 minutes after the Law Minister finished his brief reply amidst massive uproar in the House.
In his reply, Saifullah Mir said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s stand has been that mortal remains of Guru Saheb should be returned. It is also the stand of National Conference.
“If the Central Government can offer body of Ajmal Kasab to Pakistan, they should have no hesitation in handing over the body of Guru to his family in Kashmir,” he added.
Mr Mir said: “it (Shinde’s statement) is a newspaper report till now and the State Government is studying his statement and Government’s stand is clear on it. This House makes a request to the Centre to return the body of Guru”.
The observers recalled that this was after six years that grants of the Ministries were passed without any debate or reply by the Ministers.
It was in the year 2007 when entire budget was passed without any debate and reply during Ghulam Nabi Azad regime as the then Opposition National Conference had created massive uproar and not allowed the House to function for several days demanding resignation of then PDP Ministers Qazi Afzal (Forest) and Tariq Hamid Qarra (Finance) over alleged irregularities pointed out in BR Kundal Committee report.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, PHE Minister and Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma appealed to Speaker Mubarak Gul to suspend MLA Langate Engineer Rasheed from the House. He said the issue of Afzal Guru is over and “we should close it”.
“Afzal Guru was executed as per the verdict of Supreme Court and he is in no way a martyr. I fail to understand why people are doing politics over it. Somebody is calling him ‘Saheb’ while others are calling him martyr. He was a convict who dared to attack the ‘temple’ of India and he was accordingly hanged,” Sharma said adding that this chapter should be closed now and House should be allowed to function normally.
Mr Sharma said he failed to understand why some responsible people are addressing Guru as ‘Saheb’.
“I appeal to the Speaker to suspend Engineer Rashid from the House as he is not behaving responsibly and always raise useless issues. Engineer Rashid should decide whether he wants Pakistan or India. If he has taken oath then he should not use anti-Indian language in the Assembly,” Mr Sharma said.
He said the Government in no way will allow anyone to repeat 2008. “Government is cautious and no one will be given free hand to exploit the situation. Guru issue has wasted a lot of time of the House and we should address the problems of people. We are not going to tolerate un-parliamentary and anti-India language in the House,” he said.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti described the statement of Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on not returning his mortal remains as “very unfortunate’’.
To a question, she said National Conference was part and parcel of UPA Government at the Centre and they can’t escape responsibility of their failure to get body of Guru for the family.
“The statement of the Home Minister has hurt sentiments of the people of Kashmir’’, Ms Mufti said.
She said if Omar Abdullah Government was really concerned about bringing mortal remains of Guru for his family, it must pass a resolution in the Assembly and sent it to the Union Government.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir said it was his habit to address the people as ‘Saheb’.
“I address all people as Saheb’’, Saifullah said, adding the Government stand was very clear on Afzal Guru as the Chief Minister has urged the Home Minister to return mortal remains of Guru to his family.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar charged the PDP with playing politics on Guru issue and said there was no proposal with the Government to bring a resolution on the subject in the Assembly.
“The Government stand is very clear on the issue. We want body of Guru to be returned to his family’’, Mr Sagar said.
BJP Legislature Party leader Ashok Khajuria said India shouldn’t get a message that Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was with Guru.
“We want to make it clear that Jammu and Ladakh people are nationalist and these were the only Kashmir centric parties which were enacting drama in the Assembly and playing politics over Guru’s body’’, Mr Khajuria said and asked the parties to stop such kind of politics.
NPP leader and former Minister Harshdev Singh said there should be no drama on Guru everyday in the Assembly.
“If the Home Minister of India has given any statement on Guru outside or inside the Parliament, why there was tension or problem in the State Assembly’’? he asked. He charged the political parties with playing politics on Guru.
JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma said in no case any resolution should be adopted by the Legislative Assembly on return of mortal remains of Guru as this would send a wrong message in the entire country.
Mr Sharma also took strong exception to some Ministers and MLAs prefixing the title of `Saheb’ with Guru.
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