Independent MLA Sheikh Abdur Rashid and several of his supporters were injured in a clash with the police outside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, now in session here, on Thursday. They were protesting against the stalling of the resolution in the House seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict Mohammed Afzal Guru.
While the legislator was briefly seized by the policemen, his few dozen supporters were arrested and quickly removed from the scene. Many of them were thrashed by policemen as they were being bundled into police vehicles, witnesses said.
Meanwhile, Mr Sheikh turned down repeated pleas from the senior police officials to either enter the Assembly premises or return home and chose to stage a protest sit-in at the main entrance till the day’s proceedings in the House terminated. He had sustained minor injuries on his neck and face and had lost one of his chappals (footwear) in the melee.
Reiterating the charge that various mainstream political parties including ruling National Conference-Congress combine and Opposition BJP had “at the behest of New Delhi conspired” to stall the private member’s resolution seeking clemency for Afzal Guru, the Independent MLA said, “I’m not being allowed to speak in or outside the House.” He then asked, “Where should I go then. Who should I talk to; do they want me to pick up the gun to make myself heard?” After sometime, the MLA tried to jostle his way out of the main gate but when stopped by the policemen he shouted “Look, they claim I’m a free man but I’m not being allowed to leave this place.”
On Wednesday, the resolution seeking clemency for Afzal Guru and moved by Mr. Sheikh was stalled in the House as pandemonium broke out leading to adjournment of the House without any business being transacted. While BJP termed the resolution as “anti-national” and demanded that it should be dropped from the business of the House, a section of Congress MLAs was pressing the Speaker to reveal the names of the BJP MLAs who were expelled or suspended by the party high command for cross voting during J&K Legislative Council elections earlier this year. The resolution stands lapsed now and, as was announced by Speaker Muhammad Akbar Lone, it cannot come up in the current nine-day session.