SRINAGAR, Sept 28: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed uproar on Monday as BJP members protesting a resolution seeking urgent restoration of statehood entered the well of the House, tore business papers and conducted mock proceedings.
The disruption came after the opposition party moved a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather for allowing the resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday, alleging that it was in violation of rules.
The BJP maintained that references to autonomy and special status in the resolution were an insult to the Constitution and said it would not allow discussion or passage of the resolution in the House.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said BJP members were elected to represent the people and asserted that while restoration of statehood was also on the party’s agenda, the resolution in its present form was unacceptable.
“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’s commitment to restoring J&K’s statehood and asked what had happened to its promise.
“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 urged Speaker Rather to put the motion seeking his removal to vote, questioning the need to wait for 14 days, as cited by the Speaker under the relevant rule.
BJP members subsequently entered the well, raised slogans and tore business papers. BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma conducted mock proceedings in the well, while party MLAs sat on the floor during the protest.
Minister Sakina Ittoo criticised the BJP members, saying they were “only doing drama for galleries”. (Agencies)