LA witnesses uproar over NLU, harassment of Kashmiris outside J&K
Jammu, Feb 3: J&K Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed uproar on the issue of the harassment and attacks on Kashmiris in different parts of the country and the demand for establishment of National Law University (NLU) in Jammu.
As soon as the House met for day's proceedings with the Question Hour, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA S S Slathia raised the issue of students protesting across Jammu demanding the establishment of NLU in Jammu.
ìThis demand is being agitated across Jammu by different sections. We are not opposing the establishment of NLU in Kashmir. We are seeking one for Jammu as well to meet the regional aspirations,î Slathia said.
Meanwhile, other BJP MLAs rose carrying placards, which read, ìNLU for Jammu.î
Simultaneously National Conference (NC) MLA Mubarak Gul also rose to highlight issues of recurrent assaults on Kashmiris in different states.
Other NC legislators and PDP MLAs too could be seen agitated over the matter and trying to flag the disturbing trend.
Pointing towards the opposition side, Gul said, ìThey are seeking NLU. There Kashmiris are being targetted, beaten up, harassed in different parts of the country. This is not correct. It is intolerable. They want Kashmir but not Kashmiris.î
As his other colleagues too started sharing their concerns while BJP MLAs had started raising slogans, much of Gulís assertion and othersí views drowned in the noise.
During all this while, the Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather tried to run the Question Hour, though unsuccessfully.
Joining the cause, the PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para rose seeking status of his adjournment motion against the ìhate crimesî against Kashmiri Muslim students outside J&K. ìLike Gul Sahab said, they are being intimidated, they are not getting accommodations to live. They are being asked to vacate,î Para said amid the deafening uproar.
NCís Mir Saifullah said, ìMajority of people from Kupwara go outside J&K to work as labourers. Iím getting umpteen calls from the Kashmiri people suffering outside J&K. They are not being allowed to move out of their homes or places where they live. If they come out, they are being assaulted. I want the government to immediately intervene to check the trend.î Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat took exception to the BJP MLAs displaying placards on the issue of NLU against the decisions agreed upon in the Business Advisory Committee meeting.
He termed the act of BJP MLAs as ìencroachment.î
He said that the Centre allocated NLU and it was announced in the budget.
ìIt (NLU) was granted to Kashmir after due process,î he said. This further irked BJP legislators, who were already up with placards, raising slogans.
With regard to the NLU issue, Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Lone said, ìItís not a central university but a state university with a budget of Rs 50 crore.î
BJP members said that they were seeking it from the state government. Trying to restore order in the House, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said that the members would get ample time to discuss these issues during debate in the session.
ìThere is no need to disrupt Question Hour, which is a crucial device to flag the issues of the people you represent and make the government accountable,î Rather said.
On the issue of harassment of Kashmiris, he said, ìThe government has intervened on the issue. The Chief Minister himself has taken up the issue with different state governments and conveyed thanks to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister for taking immediate action in a similar case.î
Responding to the query of Para regarding his adjournment motion, the Speaker said, ìA matter which can be raised under any other procedural devices like Calling Attention Notice, Questions, and half-an hour discussions cannot be raised through an adjournment motion.î
