STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned by for the second time on Tuesday following a ruckus in the House by National Conference (NC), Congress, PDP and other members over the disallowance of adjournment of business to discuss the Waqf Amendment Act.
This is the second consecutive day on which treasury benches did not allow the House to function.
As the House assembled for the day, NC members led by Salman Sagar, Tanvir Sadiq and Peoples Conference member Sajad Gani Lone raised the issue of adjourning the Budget Session to discuss the Bill in the House.
As Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather asked them to allow the Question Hour to begin, members of NC, Congress, PDP, and Independents trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans and demanding the withdrawal of the “black law.”
Amid the noisy scenes, PDP member Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra stormed into the well of the House, demanding the immediate passage of the resolution moved by his party.
As Parra, carrying a copy of the resolution in his hand, pressed for its passage, NC leader Abdul Majid Larmi accused him of being an “RSS agent,” sparking a heated verbal exchange between NC members and other opposition legislators, including Sheikh Kursheed.
When Parra attempted to enter the well of the House, the Speaker directed Marshals to evict him.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said it has concerns over the Waqf Amendment Act and urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to hold a discussion on it in the House.
“This government is chosen by the people. Members have been elected by the people. If it is the concern of the members, it is the concern of the government too. We cannot say it is not the concern of the government,” Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary told the House amid the uproar.
He said the members wanted a discussion on the issue as it concerned most members of the House. “We should listen to them. They should be allowed to speak on the issue,” he said.
He was reacting to Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s ruling in the House that the issue, apart from being sub-judice, cannot be taken up for discussion as it is not the concern of the government.
Referring to Section 58, sub-rule 9, the Speaker said, “The motion shall not relate to a matter which is not primarily the concern of the government. If it is not the concern of this government, the motion cannot be taken up.”
This triggered massive protests from members, who thumped desks and raised slogans.
Responding to him, Minister for Agriculture Javed Dar and Minister Sakina Itoo said it is the concern of the government.
Nazir Gurezi of the NC said the Supreme Court has not admitted the matter as no notices have been issued. “Keeping this in view, a discussion can be held,” he said.
However, BJP member Sham Lal Sharma and Peoples Conference member Sajad Lone told the protesting treasury benches to bring a no-confidence motion to remove the Speaker.
As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 1 pm.
Three opposition legislators led by Sajad Gani Lone presented a no-confidence motion against Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
Lone alleged that the Speaker had become an “impediment” in voicing their opinion against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in the Assembly.
PDP legislators Fayaz Ahmad Mir (Kupwara) and Rafiq Ahmad Naik (Tral) are the other two signatories of the letter.
“We have presented a no-confidence motion against the Speaker. He has become an impediment in voicing our opinion against the Waqf bill,” Lone said in a post on X, also making the letter public.
Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Lone requested protesting National Conference members to support the motion against the Speaker.