As the death of a ruling National Conference (NC) worker allegedly in police custody is snowballing into a major political crisis for Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, pandemonium broke out in the state Assembly on Monday over an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to discuss the incident.
Amidst uproarious scenes, the Speaker lost his cool and chose to hurl abusive invectives at a senior PDP member when the latter accused him of being biased and reminded him of his adjourning the House on several occasions past week even on some “insignificant” issues.
When after about an hour the House reassembled, the Speaker regretted the incident and apologised for losing his temper. He also ordered that the verbal abuse uttered in the course of the heated exchange be expunged from the Assembly records. “Iftikhar Sahib is like a brother. I should not have said what I said,” he said. Outside the House, he told reporters, “I’m really very sorry for what happened inside the House though I was provoked by his (Mr Ansari’s) abusing me but as a matter of fact I also reacted naturally and should have not as a presiding officer.” The chief minister silently watched the ugly display of tempers in the House.
The trouble began when PDP members demanded suspension of Question Hour to discuss what its leader Mehbooba Mufti alleged is “murder” of NC worker Syed Muhammad Yusuf Shah. He died in the custody of the state police’s crime branch after the chief minister handed him over to its senior officials on last Friday. He had collected nearly `12 million from two other NC workers promising them a ministerial berth and a place in the state Legislative Council.
The state authorities have released a CCTV camera video showing Mr Shah leaving the chief minister’s house to substantiate their stance that he didn’t die there and the crime branch has filed an FIR in the case against unknown persons. But Ms Mehbooba charged, “Not only is chief minister Omar Abdullah involved, so is his father Farooq Abdullah, in the alleged murder of Syed Muhammad Yusuf which seems to have taken place inside the chief minister’s house. The matter is of a very serious nature as it also serves as a pointer toward corruption and illegal transaction of money taking place at the highest level in the state.”
This agitated the treasury benches who also took to their feet.
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CJ refuses govt plea on inquiry
Age Correspondent
srinagar, Oct. 3
Though J&K CM Omar Abdullah said he was eagerly waiting for the constitution of a judicial commission of inquiry headed by a sitting judge of the state HC to enquire into the death, local media reports said the Chief Justice of the state has turned down the government’s request.
According to these reports, Chief Justice K.M. Kalifullah has informed the government it is not within his competence to nominate a sitting judge of the HC to probe the death. He has reportedly said as per the ruling of the top court, it is either the SC or the President which can appoint a sitting high court judge for such purpose.