Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was today rocked by anti-government sloganeering as the opposition National Conference and some members of the Congress protested the killing of a teenager in Shopian district following an encounter between militants and security forces.
NC MLA Ali Mohammad Sagar interrupted Relief and rehabilitation minister Javaid Mustafa Mir when he was replying on the demand on grants for disaster management, relief and rehabilitation and reconstruction and floriculture in the house and sought a statement from the government over the Shopian incident.
Parliamentary affairs minister A R Veeri sought time and later made a brief statement around 7.25 pm, saying “two civilians – Ashiq Hussain and Sabeena – were injured in cross firing (between militants and security forces) in a village in Shopian.
“Both were rushed to hospital where Ashiq succumbed to injuries, while the condition of Sabeena is stated to be stable,” he said, adding that a police vehicle also met with an accident in the district resulting in injuries to three persons who are also stated to be stable.
“The government took one and a half hours to make a statement on the Shopian incident after we brought the killing of the civilian into its notice. It was the duty of the government to come out with a statement on its own in the house over the incident and the delay in making the statement demonstrates its inefficiency,” Sagar told reporters outside the Assembly.
“We do not want to vitiate the atmosphere but this government is itself responsible for disturbing peace by unabated civilian killings,” he said.
“It is the job of police and security forces to tackle with militants but targeting civilians cannot be approved in the civilized world,” Sagar said adding “on one hand, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti says she is against the bloodshed, but on the other killings are taking place under her nose.”
Earlier, some members raised high pitch anti-government sloganeering in the House, leading to a verbal spat with Rural development minister Abdul Haq Khan.
Deputy Speaker Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, who was in the chair, repeatedly pleaded the protesting members to take their seats but the Opposition did not pay heed to his request and said: “They are standing as a mark of protest against the killings”.
Two militants were killed today in an encounter with security forces while a teenager died in the action by law enforcing agencies against protesters near the scene of gun- battle in Shopian. (Agencies)
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