BJP protests statehood resolution in J&K Assembly, tears papers, holds mock proceedings
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed a major uproar on Monday after BJP members opposing a resolution for the urgent restoration of statehood entered the well of the House, tore business papers and held mock proceedings.
The disruption came after the BJP moved a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, accusing him of allowing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's statehood resolution, introduced on Friday, in violation of the rules.
The BJP objected to references to autonomy and special status in the resolution, calling them an insult to the Constitution. The party said it would not permit the resolution to be discussed or passed in the House.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said assembly members had been elected to represent the people.
“J&K is a sensitive state and we have enemies around. They are hatching conspiracies. We don't want to do opposition for the sake of opposition. We want that statehood be restored. It is our agenda. But the kind of resolution they have brought, it is in violation of the Constitution and is unacceptable,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary questioned the Centre over its commitment to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Are we going to give up statehood? What is wrong with the resolution for statehood? The home minister has promised on the floor of the Parliament that statehood will be restored. They promised before the highest court of the country. What happened to those promises? Two years have passed since,” he said.
Chaudhary also asked Speaker Rather to put the BJP's motion against him to a vote.
“Why wait for 14 days?” he said, referring to Rather's statement that under the rules, a motion seeking the Speaker's removal can be taken up only 14 days after it is submitted.
BJP members subsequently entered the well of the House, with some MLAs tearing business papers and raising slogans including “Desh drohiyon ka agenda nahi chalega, nahi chalega (Agenda of anti-nationals will not be tolerated)”, “Samvidhan se mazak, band karo (Stop making a mockery of the Constitution)” and “Samvidhan ki hatya band karo (Stop the murder of the Constitution)”.
BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma then began holding mock proceedings in the well, while other party MLAs sat on the floor during the exercise.
Minister Sakina Ittoo criticised the BJP members, accusing them of “only doing drama for galleries”. (with inputs from PTI)
