Both Houses of Jammu & Kashmir legislature witnessed pandemonium on Monday as Opposition members jointly sought discussions on the beef ban issue, imposition of Service Tax on helicopter rides and plight of the victims of 2014 floods. The situation was virtually out of control in the Assembly where tempestuous members flung torn papers, dislodged furniture and had a face-off with the floor staff.
The Opposition members had brought five separate adjournment motions on the controversial issues but the Speaker, Kavinder Gupta, insisted on carrying out routine business. The Speaker adjourned the House when unrelenting Opposition refused to budge despite two earlier recalls. The House effectively functioned for less than ten minutes and answers from two Ministers during Question Hour were lost in din. In Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Opposition leader Omar Abdullah’s presence, the House was virtually under the command of slogan-shouting members.
The Speaker told the House that he was in receipt of five adjournment motions seeking discussion on the beef ban issue, levy of Service Tax on pilgrims using helicopters and rehabilitation of 2014 flood victims. The motions, he said, were forwarded by National Conference (NC), the Congress and two members, Hakim Yasin and MY Tarigami.
He said he disallowed adjournment on beef ban issue in view of Rule 58 of the business procedure of the House. This infuriated the Opposition members who accused the Speaker of being biased and partisan.
NC legislator Davinder Rana accused that Speaker was following the diktats of coalition Government and handling the business of the House in a partisan way.
Two NC members Abdul Majid larmi and Altaf Ahmad Wani occupied the Well of the House to disrupt the proceedings. They were joined by Congress members Usman Majid, Amin Bhat and Asghar Karbalae, who also yelled at the staff and entered into physical dual with them.
The agitating members dislodged official reporters in the Well of the House and tore off their papers. They alighted the Secretary’s table while displaying banners and shouting slogans. A uniformed staff member was wounded when an agitating legislator was being whisked away.
The Speaker pleaded with the members that they could highlight the issues in Zero Hour and discussion on beef issue would be held when Private Members’ Bill would be tabled in the House. Former Speaker Mubarak Gul (NC), who was briefly allowed to speak, alleged that the State Government’s attempt to take the beef ban issue to Supreme Court was aimed at sabotaging the Opposition’s effort to discuss it in the J&K legislature. “This is a deliberate attempt of sabotage. The Bill should have been tabled in the J&K Assembly”, he said.
The NC members accused the Speaker of promoting RSS agenda in the State. “I am proud of being associated with the RSS,” the Speaker shot back triggering high-pitch sloganeering against RSS and Modi-Mufti Government. Speaking to mediapersons outside the House, NC Working president Omar Abdullah lambasted the coalition Government’s decision to approach the apex court for its verdict on the beef ban issue. He said it (approaching the apex court) was an attempt to stall discussion on the issue on plea of being sub-judice.