Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 19: An unprecedented situation prevailed in the Legislative Assembly today during Question Hour—first on the issue of Speaker Mubarak Gul’s decision to reject five resolutions on return of mortal remains of 2001 Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru when Jammu based Opposition MLAs especially NPP legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia grappled with Independent MLA Engineer Rashid in the Well of the House forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House.
Unruly scenes were again witnessed when BJP MLA Jugal Kishore made provocative gestures towards Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo while staging walk-out on discrimination with Jammu region prompting the Speaker to marshal him out and suspend him for rest of the session. The BJP and JSM MLAs stayed away from the House for the entire day to protest the suspension of Mr Kishore while BJP rebels and NPP legislators returned to the House after sometime.
For the second time, the Congress MLAs showed their dissent over protests by some NC MLAs, Engineer Rashid and others in favour of return of Guru’s mortal remains. They remained on their feet when Jammu based Opposition was protesting against the demand for facilitating return of the mortal remains of Guru.
The division between National Conference-Congress coalition partners over the issue of Afzal Guru was clearly visible.
During adjournment of the House on the issue of Guru, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister and Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma was heard taking exception in the manner the House proceedings were being conducted.
“This is too much. How this House is being run? What kind of language is being used here? Some members are abusing the Indian State. We can’t tolerate all this. This is not the way to run the House’’, Sham said on his seat and added that “if such a practice continued we will have to leave the Government’’.
“Who has stopped you’’? pat came the reply from Higher Education Minister and veteran National Conference leader Mohammad Akbar Lone, who happened to be the former Speaker.
Another National Conference leader and Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry (Independent Charge) Nazir Gurezi also shouted: “yeh hamein dara rahe hain (they are frightening us). Go and snap the ties if you want.’’ NC leader and former Minister Surjit Singh Slathia also supported Mr Lone and Mr Gurezi.
Sham took exception to the manner in which the Speaker was running the House.
Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla said no one should be permitted to speak against the Government of India. “The House should run within the Constitution’’, he added and said the MLAs using ‘unparliamentary language’ should be removed from the Assembly.
Senior Congress members and former Ministers Mohammad Sharief Niaz and Ghulam Mohammad Saroori observed that the Chair should follow the rules. “What Rashid is doing? He is making mockery of Indian and State Constitution. He should have been removed from the House’’.
Mr Gurezi countered: “we have not stopped anyone. Let the Speaker remove him’’.
The verbal duel was pacified with the intervention of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Saifullah Mir, who went personally to the seats of Congress leaders and pacified them during adjournment of the House.
Speaking to media outside later, Saifullah downplayed the incident saying it was not going to affect the coalition. “Such things do happen but it won’t affect our relations. We will complete full term and will also form the next Government jointly’’, he said.
As soon as the House resumed its sitting for the day, ruling NC MLAs, MY Tarigami (CPM), Hakim Mohammad Yasin (PDF) and Engineer Rashid (Independent) were on their feet. Waiving a copy of rejection of his resolution, Engineer Rashid trooped into Well of the House wanting to know why his resolution has been rejected?
It may be mentioned that resolutions, which were to be debated in the Assembly on March 30 and April 2, were finalised by the Assembly Speaker yesterday.
Former Minister of State for Home and NC MLA Nasir Aslam Wani and CPM MLA MY Tarigami also posed similar questions to the Speaker as a total of five resolutions, three moved by the NC MLAs and one each by Engineer Rashid and Mr Tarigami on the issue of return of mortal remains of Guru had been rejected yesterday.
“Let the resolution fall in the House but it shouldn’t have been disallowed’’, Mr Rashid said. Nasir Aslam Wani also wanted to know from the Speaker why his resolution has been disallowed.
The Jammu based opposition MLAs including those of BJP, BJP breakaway group, NPP and JSM were on their feet.
“Why Rashid is not being suspended from the House? He is speaking anti-national language in the Assembly. Why I was suspended yesterday’’? Mr Mankotia asked.
All Congress MLAs including Mr Niaz, Mr Saroori, Ashok Kumar, Indu Pawar and Krishen Chander Bhagat were also on their feet opposing the demand for resolution on Guru, which was being vociferously made by their Alliance partner, the National Conference indicating the clear divide between the Coalition on the issue of Afzal Guru.
Speaker Mubarak Gul justified the rejection of all resolutions seeking return of mortal remain of Guru on the ground that an adjournment motion on the same subject had already been discussed in the Assembly and the reply given by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
However, at the same time, he asked the Opposition members not to make it an issue.
“The man (Afzal Guru) is not in this world. We have no right to speak against him. No religion teaches to speak against the dead person. This is the sensitive issue and no one should make it an issue. He can’t defend himself here. We should go by our conscious’’, Mr Gul said.
An agitated Engineer Rashid alleged that the resolution has been disallowed at the behest of New Delhi. He continued shouting near the Well of the House.
Mr Gul said: “already the Chief Minister has written a letter to the Centre on return of Guru’s mortal remains. The Government is committed to the demand. I will allow the resolution if the Government is not committed. You (the members) should wait for reply of the letter. There was no meaning of the resolution at this stage.
“We have not surrendered. The House sense has already gone that the mortal remains (of Guru) should be returned. The Government was also determined. What is the purpose of resolution’’?
He told the agitated members that the Assembly Secretariat had examined the resolutions on Guru and rejected them under Rules. The matter had already been discussed in the House. Mr Gul urged the Government to talk to the family of Guru and provide them whatever legal help they required to bring back his mortal remains.
Mr Mankotia was again on his feet wanting to know why action was taken against him yesterday and why no action is being taken against Rashid as he was speaking “anti-national language’’.
Mr Gul, however, told Mr Mankotia to do his business saying Rashid was not an anti-Indian as he had taken oath of the Constitution.
NPP leader Harshdev Singh said Mr Rashid was raising the demand of plebiscite in the House. “Why no action is being taken against him’’, he asked.
Intervening, Law Minister Saifullah Mir said the Government stand was clear on the issue and Chief Minister has repeatedly requested the Centre to return mortal remains of Guru.
“There had been three hours debate on the adjournment motion on Guru. How can the resolution on the same subject be allowed again? The Government and the National Conference have same stand on the issue that the body of Guru should be returned to his family’’, Mr Mir said.
He said he has studied the Speaker’s decision to reject the resolutions, which was “right and appropriate’’.
“There is set procedure for admitting the resolutions. The jurisdiction of the Assembly is seen. Here, the Assembly has no jurisdiction. The Speaker is very right in disallowing the resolutions’’, the Law Minister said.
Hakim Yasin (PDF) sought to know the fate of the letter written by the Chief Minister to the Union Home Minister seeking return of Guru’s mortal remains. Mr Gul told Hakim that the Chief Minister is not in the House.
At this, there was massive uproar from the Jammu based opposition with Mankotia thumping the table of reporters and officials of the Assembly saying Rashid was openly supporting Pakistan. BJP rebel Jagdish Sapolia also wanted Rashid to be removed from the House as he remained in the Well.
“Pakistan Kay Agent Ko Bahar Nikalo, Bahar Nikalo’’, the MLAs shouted.
Mr Gul, however, defended Rashid saying he was not asking for Pakistan or independence but only raising the demand for return of mortar remains of Guru.
Ashwani Sharma (JSM) took strong exception to the fact that Rashid was being allowed to use “anti-national” language in the House. As all Opposition MLAs of Jammu were near the Well, Mr Mankotia grappled with Rashid and hit him twice. Other opposition members also rushed towards Mr Rashid.
Finding the situation getting out of control, Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone, MY Tarigami, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and several other senior members persuaded the Opposition MLAs and separated them from Rashid. The Marshals also joined in and came between the MLAs marching towards Rashid.
Amidst unprecedented pandemonium in the House leading to a virtual free-for-all situation, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly for 10 minutes at 10.23 am.
When the House resumed at 10.35 am the uproar on the issue of Guru was over.
However, as soon as Planning Minister Ajay Sadhotra finished reply to Question No. 2 of BJP MLA Jugal Kishore on construction of Fly Overs in Jammu City, all four BJP MLAs including Ashok Khajuria, Jugal Kishore, Sukhnandan Choudhary and Sham Choudhary took to the Well shouting slogans against discrimination with Jammu region. As Mr Kishore was close to the Well, Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo said few words, which irritated Mr Kishore, who repeatedly made provocative gestures towards the Minister saying: “why I have no right to speak in the House’’.
As Mr Kishore continued to shout towards Sakina Itoo, several National Conference and Congress Ministers, MLAs and marshals rushed towards the Well and separated him. The Marshals also surrounded Mr Kishore as the Speaker ordered that the BJP MLA be removed from the House.
A number of ruling Alliance and some opposition members including two to three Ministers were also seen separating Jugal Kishore and taking him out of the Assembly even as the Speaker called for maintaining discipline and decorum in the House.
All NC and Congress MLAs were on their feet denouncing the act of Jugal Kishore.
PHE Minister Sham Lal Sharma said it was responsibility of the Speaker to maintain order in the House. “You shouldn’t be too liberal’’, Sham said addressing to the Speaker. However, Gul said he had ordered removal of Jugal from the House within a minute.
Sham said the behaviour of Mr Kishore with a lady Minister was condemnable and “unparliamentary’’ and the Speaker should take strict action against him.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was present in the House, said the incident had downed heads of the members with shame.
“On one side, we are talking of respecting our mothers and sisters. On the other side, an elected member has done such sort of behaviour with a lady Minister. We should strongly condemn it and take action’’, Omar said, adding the Speaker was very soft, otherwise, he can use his powers so that indiscipline in the House especially with a lady member didn’t take place again.
“How we can use the word Honourable with such MLAs’’? he lamented.
Congress MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori also called for stern action against the BJP MLA.
Mr Gul described the incident as “most condemnable’’ and said all members including Leader of the House (Omar Abdullah) have voiced their concern over it. He announced suspension of Mr Kishore from the House for one week. However, the Chief Minister and other members said Mr Kishore should be suspended from the House for full session.
The Speaker then took vote from the House on the motion moved by Congress MLA Indu Pawar for suspension of Mr Kishore from the House for full session. The House unanimously approved the resolution by the voice vote. However, entire Opposition including BJP, BJP breakaway group, NPP and JSM had walked-out of the House on the issue of discrimination with Jammu region.
Only one questions was taken up in the Question Hour due to pandemonium.
As the House took up the grants of the Ministry of Works at about 11.10 am, there was not a single member of Opposition in the House barring Mr Tarigami and Mr Yasin. While the PDP has already boycotted full budget session of the Legislature since Wednesday, other party members left the House after the suspension of Jugal Kishore.
At about 12 noon, the BJP breakaway group members including Jagdish Sapolia, Prof Gharu Ram, Durga Dass, Master Lal Chand and Bharat Bushan returned to the House and clarified their position saying they had walked-out of the House and were not aware of the incident.
Bharat Bushan said they condemned the behaviour of Jugal Kishore with the lady Minister.
“If Mr Kishore has spoken anything wrong to Ms Itoo, we condemn it’’, Mr Bushan said.
The Law Minister hailed the condemnation of BJP breakaway members’ of the behaviour of Mr Kishore.
Few minutes later, Law Minister Saifullah Mir made an appeal to other opposition members including those of BJP, NPP and JSM to return to the House excepting Jugal Kishore. The NPP members responded to the appeal and came to the Assembly while the BJP and JSM members stayed away.
The BJP Legislature Party has, meanwhile, decided to stay away from the Assembly till suspension of Jugal Kishore was revoked unconditionally.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Jugal Kishore said he was addressing to the Speaker near Well of the House protesting discrimination with Jammu region on construction of Fly Overs along with three other BJP MLAs when Sakina Itoo allegedly asked him “Dafaa Ho Jao (get out of the House)’’. He quoted Itoo as having charged him with making the Assembly a “fish market’’.
“Then I reacted’’, he said, adding he has full regard for the women but there was no question of male-female issue.
NPP leader Harshdev Singh said his party MLAs also walked-out of the House in support of Jugal Kishore.
“Under a strategy, the Government was making attempt to silence the voice of nationalist forces’’, he said.
JSM MLA Ashwani Sharma said Jugal Kishore was deliberately removed from the Assembly to make the House free of opposition so that there was no one to question the Government.
“On the one hand, the Government has given liberty to pro-Pakistan elements in the House while on the other, the nationalist MLAs were being marshaled out. Yesterday, Balwant Singh Mankotia (NPP) was suspended and today it was Jugal Kishore. All those raising voice against the Government were being snubbed’’, Mr Sharma said.
Sakina Itoo said Jugal Kishore tried to use muscle power against here but Housing Minister Raman Bhalla came between and saved her otherwise the “MLA was determined to assault me’’.
“I want to ask BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who has been speaking for the cause of women in Lok Sabha whether she would take action against her own party’s MLA, who tried to assault a woman Minister inside the Assembly’’, Ms Itoo said.
She added that she had been a legislator for 15 years but has never seen such a behaviour of a MLA with a Minister. She added that she had even been asking Engineer Rashid not to go to the Well of the House every time.
“I have never spoken or engaged in arguments with anyone in the House’’, the Minister said, adding the Ministers saved her. She said she would wait for the comments of Sushma Swaraj on the issue.
Law Minister Saifullah Mir said it was the responsibility of all members to maintain decorum of the House.
“We have replied to all issues of the PDP in the House but still they boycotted the session. We can’t do much. By boycotting the session, the opposition MLAs are neglecting the people, who had elected them’’, Mr Mir said.
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