Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: Entire Opposition staged a walkout from the Assembly today in protest against the Speaker, Kavinder Gupta’s decision to pass the grants on Agriculture Ministry without seeking the consent from members on their cut motions moved by them.
As the Minister of Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Hanjura finished his speech in the House and Speaker sought the vote on grants and said “those in favour should say yes and those not say no”, Former Minister and NC MLA, Ali Mohammed Sagar stood up and protested against the Speaker’s decision saying he did not ask the members who moved their cut motions one by one whether they withdraw them or put them to vote.
The NC MLA said that this is not the precedence of the House as Speaker had to ask every member whether they wanted to withdraw their cut motions after Minister’s reply or put them to vote. Sagar said “we did not say that we have withdrawn the cut motions and how did you pass the grants before seeking our views on the fate of cut motions”.
He was supported by GM Saroori , Rigzin Jora and Usman Majid of Congress also. Later all Opposition NC and Congress members stood up from their seats and protested against the decision of the Speaker.
The protesting Opposition members demanded that the procedure of the House be adopted.
Though Speaker pleaded the opposition members to resume their seats but they all came to front rows and protested. To pacify them Revenue and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Abdul Rehman Veeri intervened saying that when Minister completed his speech the members again start questioning him. Mohammed Akbar Lone of NC said that in future the cut motions should be taken up one by one.
However Sagar criticized the manner in which the grants were passed and alleged that the Speaker was acting as BJP’s Speaker.
He said that it was the opposition which supported him fully on protocol issue in the House but he is not ready to listen them. Supporting him Rigzin Jora of Congress said you have to go as per procedure and it is totally unfortunate what you did.
Though Kavinder Gupta reiterated his appeal to opposition members to resume their seats, they refused and staged a walkout in protest. They later boycotted the grants of the Minister of Sports and Information Technology which were to be taken for vote and passing later.
Earlier former Minster and MLA Marh Choudhary Sukhnandan also alleged that spray and other items are being purchased by farmers from markets on less rates than provided to them by the Department. He entered into arguments with the Minister during the debate. However Hanjura said that if the member proves it he will at the same time reimburse the amount.
Sukhnandan said the Government also needs to take the steps to curb sale of sub standard sprays and fertilizers in the market which have taken huge toll on the production and has destroyed crops of farmers.
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