J&K Assembly passes resolution for special status restoration

Srinagar, Nov 6: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution demanding the restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees besides working out a constitutional mechanism for restoring these provisions.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather announced that the NC legislator Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, would move a resolution.

Moving the resolution in the house that was seconded by Minister for Health, Education, and Social Welfare, Sakeena Masood, Choudhary read out the resolution: “This Legislative Assembly reaffirms the importance of special status and constitutional guarantees, which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and expressed concern over their unilateral removal.

“This Assembly calls upon the Government of India to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of people of Jammu and Kashmir for restoration of special status, constitutional guarantees and to work out constitutional mechanisms for restoring these provisions.

“This Assembly emphasises that any process for restoration must safeguard both national unity and the legitimate aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

The resolution was put to voice vote by the Speaker and passed through voice vote amid the uproar and ruckus created by the BJP legislators.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Sharma, and other legislative members of the BJP objected to the introduction of the resolution amid noise, following which the Speaker adjourned the proceedings of the house till Thursday.

Earlier, when Deputy Chief Minister Choudhary moved the resolution, BJP legislators were taken aback and stood up from their chairs and led by the Leader of the Opposition stormed into the well of the house and demanded that the resolution be rejected.

The Speaker tried to pacify the BJP legislators but the BJP members raised slogans against the Speaker and said that the Speaker had proved that the chair belonged to only the National Conference (NC).

The Speaker again tried to pacify the opposition party legislators asking them to hold a discussion on the resolution.

However, the BJP legislators continued their protest to which the Speaker responded that if the opposition party legislators do not agree to hold the discussion, the resolution will be passed.

The BJP members continued their protest in the well of the house against the Speaker for passing the resolution.

As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the house for 15 minutes.

While the treasury benches remained vacant following the momentary adjournment of the house, the BJP members continued their protest even in the absence of the Speaker.

Amid this ruckus, the Congress members acted as mute spectators and did not stand up from their seats to support the ruling party.

However, other legislators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Conference President and legislator Sajad Lone, MLA Langate Sheikh Khurshid Ahmad, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA extended their support to the ruling party for passing the resolution.

Meanwhile, MLA Nizamuddin Bhat stood up from his chair and shouted that BJP members had dishonoured the house.

In absence of the Speaker, the BJP legislators occupied the table placed in the well of the house and started raising slogans ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘August 5 Zindabad’, ‘Vande Mataram’,  ‘Anti-national Agenda Nahi Chalega’, ‘Anti-Jammu Agenda Nahi Chalega’, ‘Pakistani Agenda Nahi Chalega’, and ‘Speaker Haai Haai’.

The BJP members shouted ‘Go Back, Go Back; Speaker Go Back’ to which the NC legislators shouted back at them saying, ‘Go Back, Go Back; RSS Go Back.’

The BJP MLAs also shouted slogans like ‘National Conference Sharam Karo’ after the Speaker passed the resolution with a voice vote.

As the session resumed, the BJP members continued their protest while the Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma accused the Speaker of representing the ruling party.

“We have reports that the Speaker called a meeting of ministers on Tuesday and drafted the resolution himself,” he said.

Sharma was flanked by another BJP MLA who said the resolution was prepared in collusion with the Speaker at a guest house.

“The mandate of the Assembly poll was in favour of abrogation of Article 370 because BJP got 26 percent votes against NC’s 23 percent,” BJP’s Sham Lal Sharma said.

As the ruckus continued, the Speaker asked the legislators to settle down on their chairs and start the session to acknowledge the address of the Lieutenant Governor.

But this did not pacify the situation as BJP members continuously raised anti-Speaker slogans which forced the Speaker to adjourn the House for an hour.

Amid the din, the Congress MLA entered into a heated argument with the BJP MLAs for opposing the resolution while the AAP MLA also extended his support to the ruling party and accused the BJP MLAs of befooling the people of Jammu.

“Read the resolution properly once. You are creating unnecessary scenes inside the house,” the AAP MLA shouted at BJP members.

While the house was adjourned for an hour, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah left the Assembly complex saying, “The Assembly has done its job.”

He did not speak in detail about the issue.

Later, as the session resumed, the BJP legislators continued their ruckus in the well of the house and did not allow the Speaker to resume the session.

The Speaker again repeatedly asked the BJP legislators: “You don’t want to pay gratitude to the LG's address?”

The BJP members continued their protest forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House until Thursday morning.

Earlier, as the 3rd day of the session started in the house, the Speaker said that the Assembly had missed the name of former MLA Kulgam, Muhammad Yaqoob Bhat during obituary references as the concerned Deputy Commissioner (DC) had not sent the name of the former legislator.

The Speaker announced a one-minute silence to pay tributes to the former legislator.