Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 5: The Legislative Assembly today witnessed pandemonium with the National Conference MLAs and Ministers clashing with the main Opposition People’s Democratic Party and seeking apology from the former Deputy Chief Minister and senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig over his remarks against the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. As there was no end to the ruckus and Opposition MLAs from Jammu staged walk-out over lapse of half an hour of the Question Hour, the Speaker had to adjourn the House.
As soon as the House assembled this morning, all the National Conference MLAs started protesting against the remarks of Muzaffar Hussain Baig against the Chief Minister and made it clear to the Speaker Mubarak Gul that they would not allow House proceedings till the PDP MLA tenders apology for using un-parliamentary language against the Chief Minister, who is also the leader of the House.
Though Speaker tried to pacify the agitating NC MLAs—Nasir Aslam Wani, Javed Dar, Aijaz Jaan and Bimla Luthra and asked them to allow smooth functioning of the Question Hour which had been disrupted ever since the start of Budget Session but the ruling party MLAs continued protest and even walked near the well of the House.
They were countered by the PDP MLAs, who stood up from their benches and started raising slogans—-“shame shame…”. “This is not the constitutional decorum that a senior member uses foul language against the Chief Minister. We want Muzaffar Hussain Baig to apologize for his remarks”, Nasir Aslam Wani said amidst verbal duel between the PDP and NC MLAs.
Joining the party MLAs in demanding apology from the PDP MLA, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah said, “every member of this House has to maintain decorum and show respect to the post of Chief Minister, who is also the leader of the House but Muzaffar Hussain Baig has crossed all the limits and used un-parliamentary and derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister”, adding “Muzaffar Baig has no right to make such remarks against Chief Minister and he should apologise”.
Minister for Law was joined by Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohd Sagar, Minister of State for Home, Sajjad Kichloo and Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Nazir Gurezi, who also demanded apology from the PDP MLA and warned that the insult to the Chief Minister will not be tolerated.
As the agitating NC MLAs continued to raise slogans “Mafi Maango, Mafi Maango”, the PDP members led by Mehbooba Mufti shouted back, “Fansi Dekar Lash Nai Wapas Karte Ho (you hang but don’t return the body for last rites” in an obvious reference to Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
In the meantime, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control and senior Congress MLA, Sham Lal Sharma appealed the agitating National Conference MLAs to allow smooth functioning of the House till Muzaffar Baig comes in the House and explain his stand. However, pandemonium continued in the House.
Expressing concern over lapse of 20 minutes of Question Hour, all the Opposition MLAs from Jammu stood up from their benches and remarked, “it is a drama scripted by the NC and PDP to settle political scores. There must be immediate end to the chaos as people’s problems are falling victim to the ruckus”.
Later, they staged walk out amidst slogans—“Gunda Gardi Nahin Chalegi Nahin Chalegi”. As tampers ran high between PDP and NC MLAs, Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
When the House reassembled, the Speaker said that when Baig will return to the House the issue of apology will be taken up as the NC MLAs once again started protest to press for apology. Amidst pandemonium, Muzaffar Baig entered the House and said, “Chief Minister has termed the PDP as Maut Ke Saudagar (merchants of death) and if CM takes his words back I will also take back my words”, adding “I have not done anything wrong by terming Chief Minister as daily wager. All the politicians here are daily wagers for six years—what is wrong in this. The daily wagers in the departments are terminated by serving notice but we are rejected by the people without any notice”.
As there was no let up in the protest from NC MLAs, Baig remarked, “I am ready to give them healing touch by certifying for their happiness sake that Omar Abdullah will remain Chief Minister for 40-50 years”.
The pandemonium came to end when Minister for Law, Mir Saifullah said, “Baig has himself accepted that he has used unparliamentary language against the Chief Minister and the situation is now resolved”.
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