J&K assembly proceedings adjourned till 1pm after ruckus over Waqf Act
The National Conference and its allies were demanding a debate on the issue, while Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather remained firm in his stance and adjourned the House till 1pm.
The Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly proceedings were adjourned for three hours on Wednesday as the House witnessed ruckus for the third consecutive day over the denial of adjournment of business to discuss the Waqf Act.
The National Conference and its allies were demanding a debate on the issue, while Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather remained firm in his stance and adjourned the House till 1pm.
“I adjourn the House till 1 pm,” he said before leaving the House.
As soon as the House assembled here this morning for day’s business, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia sought the Speaker’s response to an adjournment motion brought by him on unemployment.
While NC members were protesting over Waqf Amendment Act, the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motion.
While referring to Mankotia’s adjournment motion, the Speaker said, “In the adjournment motion, he (Mankotia) has mentioned it as a matter of recent occurrence, but unemployment is not a problem of recent occurrence. So, I disallow your adjournment motion.”
The Speaker then tried to proceed with the question hour, asking NC MLA Mushtaq Ahmed Guroo to ask his question. The latter denied and the Speaker then directed BJP member Sunil Bhardwaj to ask his question. He then asked the minister in-charge power to respond.
However, NC and allies created uproar and gathered near the well.
Meanwhile, some BJP members including Mankotia entered the well of the House and staged a sit-in (dharna).
Amid ruckus, NC’s chief whip Mubarak Gul insisted that a debate be allowed on the Waqf Amendment Act.
Gul described the Waqf Act as a very sensitive issue and urged the Speaker to suspend rules and allow a debate.
He also countered BJP and asked what they did to resolve unemployment in the past.
NC member Nazir Gurezi asked to shun “double standards”.
He said, “Speaker Sir please allow the debate, we have brought an adjournment motion. You can exercise your powers. No skies will fall. The Act has done grave injustice with Muslims. The BJP people are doing drama over unemployment. They are doing Hindu-Muslim for votes. They should tell what they did in the past 10-year rule to overcome unemployment”.
“Their adjournment motion is an attempt to hoodwink the people. The BJP snatched special status, statehood, land of the people and our resources. They have ruined Jammu and Kashmir. They have snatched everything from us,” he added.
Amid sloganeering and ruckus by NC and BJP, Speaker adjourned the House till 1 pm.
It may be stated here that the business of the House on Monday and Tuesday was washed out to the protests by NC members.
Wednesday is the last day of the Budget session.
