Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 25: Ruling BJP legislators today created uproar in the Legislative Assembly over “revoking Public Safety Act” on a person accused of desecration of a temple in Janipur locality of Jammu.
As soon as the Legislative Assembly started its proceeding, BJP legislator from Ramnagar constituency in Jammu, R S Pathania, asked the Government on “what grounds” the PSA was revoked on the youth who had desecrated the temple of the Jammu. “Only the District Magistrate has the power to revoke the PSA. Government has no authority to issue any such order,” he said.
Pathania was supported by other BJP lawmakers from the Jammu region. Yasir Alfaz, a youth from Doda, whom Government declared lunatic, was slapped with PSA by Jammu District Magistrate.
The BJP MLAs had heated argument with Engineer Abdul Rashid Sheikh and NC legislators over the issue.
The ruling PDP MLA from Shopian, Advocate Muhammad Yousuf Bhat on Thursday had demanded revocation of PSA on the youth. Bhat was supported by Opposition.
Government then revoked the Act on the youth on Thursday evening, which however, was opposed by BJP lawmakers today.
But the protesting BJP MLAs were confronted by Independent legislator from Langate Er Abdul Rashid who demanded action against killers of a Kashmiri trucker Zahid, who was set ablaze by a mob in Udhampur on Jammu-Srinagar Highway last year after beef-ban row. However, Pathania along with some BJP members continued to target the Government for revoking the PSA.
Opposition NC MLA from Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar said the youth is lunatic and how PSA was slapped on him.
Replying to the House, Minister for Rural Development Abdul Haq Khan said the youth is in police custody. “PSA should not have been slapped on him. A Medical Board will conduct his examination to reveal whether he is lunatic or normal,” he said. However, the Opposition and the ruling BJP legislators sparred with one another over the issue.
Khan asked the legislators not to use “un-parliamentary language as whole State is watching us”.
Unconvinced with the Minister’s reply, the Opposition legislators created ruckus against releasing of 22 people whom police had detained for vandalizing public property after alleged desecration of the temple. “What happened to Zahid killers? Hang them,” the Opposition legislators demanded. The opposition members from NC and Engineer Rashid walked out of the House shouting slogans “Zahid Ke Qatiloon Ko Pesh Karo, Pesh Karo.”
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