Gul, Veeri withdraw bills on Govt’s assurance
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 30: While Assembly today rejected BJP Legislator Balwant Singh Mankotia’s Bill on protection of temples and shrines in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the two private members’ bills tabled by NC’s chief whip, Mubarak Gul regarding hike in perks of chief whip and another Bill tabled by NC’s MLA from Bijbehara. Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri regarding declaration of river Jehlum as protected water body were withdrawn on the Government’s assurance. However the Bill tabled by BJP MLA from Udhampur West, Pawan Gupta regarding the compassionate appointments to the next kin of Government employees, security forces and other deceased citizens did not come for debate due to paucity of time and will be taken up on next date.
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Mankotia’s Bill was opposed by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in the House. The CM stood up after Mankotia tabled the Bill and said “I oppose the Bill”.
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Later Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary while rejecting the Bill said that NC Government always protected the religious places in J&K and did not allow anyone to grab them. “There is no need of brining the Bill as we are committed not to allow anyone to grab the religious places of any community”, he added.
Choudhary said today people in any part of the world hail the J&K citizens for maintaining communal harmony and he requested the MLA to withdraw the Bill. However, the MLA pressed that Bill be put to vote which was rejected by voice vote as treasury benches voted against it.
The Dy CM, in his reply, said there is already Wakf Board to protect religious places of Muslims, Gurdwara Prabhandak Board to protect the religious places of Sikhs and Dharmarth Trust to protect the religious places of Hindus.
Earlier, Mankotia, while quoting the rule, said that that the Dy CM can’t make statement when the Bill was opposed by CM and he (CM) should give the reply also. However his argument was rejected by Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather saying that there is no such rule.
Dy CM said “I am part of Omar Abdullah Government, I being the representative of my party president, Dr Farooq Abdullah who when visits temples, the Hindus consider him their own, when visiting mosques, Muslims consider him their own. He visits Gurdwaras and Sikhs consider him their own, while visiting Churches members of Christian community consider him their own. This has been the tradition of our party”, he added
The BJP MLA from Chennai, while making strong arguments in support of the Bill said though J&K has always maintained the age old traditions of communal harmony and brotherhood but after the 1987 when situation deteriorated in Kashmir and the minority community was forced to leave the Valley, the Hindu religious places suffered a huge damage and loss.
He said Kashmir is the land where 8th century temples are found and most of shrines and temples were vandalised after the turmoil of 1990. He said on the directives of High Court a Committee was framed led by the Chief Secretary to retrieve the land but despite that no result oriented headway was achieved in this regard. He said Raghunath Mandir in Kashmir which is decades old was lying closed and it has been recently reopened.
Moreover, from tourism point of view these temples and shrines are very important and the tourists visiting there will convey a good message across the country. He said even in Abudhabi the Government gave huge land for the construction of Hindu temple despite being a Muslim State. During Amarnath Yatra Hindu pilgrims visit Kashmir and the Muslims get benefitted of the same. “My Bill is for protection of temples in Kashmir and retrieving their land to its owners,” he added.
However, NC Chief Whip Mubarak Gul, whose Bill regarding salaries, allowances and other benefits of the Chief Whip of the majority Party in the Assembly of the UT of J&K and Party MLA from Bijbehara, Dr Bashir Veeri whose Bill to restore and safeguard river Jehlum and to protect it from further degradation , ensuring its ecological sustainability through waste management measures and strict penalties for pollution, were withdrawn after the Government reply.
CM Omar Abdullah in his reply to Mubarak Gul’s Bill, said that he (Gul) is the respected member of the House and will continue to earn this respect in future too whether he be the MLA, Speaker or Chief Whip. He said during July 2019 when everyone was perturbed to know what is going to happen in erstwhile State and during the meeting on August 4, it was Mubarak Gul who said that the Article 370 and 35 A will be annulled and State will not remain besides it will be bifurcated. “I laughed over this. But next day when our houses were locked and I glued to TV set I saw that what Gul had said was right”. CM said Gul commands a good respect in party and outside.
Gul, while defending his Bill earlier, said that people made fun of him when he earlier brought the Bill. Even his family said why he brought the Bill. “But I don’t want perks for myself and will not take them during my term but I want it for those who will hold the post after me as there are all states in the country where such bills were passed”.
The CM while replying his point said J&K is UT and in other UTs of the country also there is no such provision.
While Veeri also pressed that his Bill be passed but the Minister of Jal Shakti, Javed Rana opposed it saying there are many provisions to protect the water bodies in the J&K including river Jehlum. He also quoted some acts in this regard saying due care is taken by Government to protect Jehlum and other water bodies in the UT.
However, the member earlier pressed that the Bill be passed but the Minister opposed and asked the MLA to withdraw it. Later, Veeri on the assurance of the Minister withdrew his Bill.
BJP MLA Pawan Gupta’s Bill pertaining to compassionate appointments to the next of kin of the deceased Government employees, security personnel and civilians was not taken up for debate due to paucity of time and the Speaker assured the member that the Bill is with the House and next day he will be given opportunity to speak on it.
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