The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was on Tuesday adjourned sine die amidst strong protests by the Opposition PDP demanding a discussion on the death of a National Conference worker allegedly in police custody last week.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs had moved a fresh adjournment motion notice demanding that the House should debate the death of Syed Mohammed Yousuf on September 30 as there were allegations of the chief minister’s office being involved in it. However, Speaker Mohammed Akbar Lone rejected the PDP demand saying that there was nothing new in their notice than the one rejected by him on Monday. “A discussion on the matter is hardly justified at this stage and can prove counter-productive as the state government has requested the Chief Justice of the J&K high court to appoint a sitting high court judge to probe the matter,” Mr Lone said.
Angry PDP members stormed the Well of the House, raising slogans protesting against the Speaker’s decision. Initially, the Opposition members were demanding discussion into Yousuf’s death but as the Speaker did not allow them even to speak, they started protesting against the Chair.
Quoting newspaper reports, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said a discussion had become “extremely inevitable” claiming that the high court had refused to entertain the state government’s request for conducting a probe by a sitting judge.
However, the Speaker remained steadfast on his decision that no issue which is sub-judice can be discussed in the House.
Senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig contested the Speaker’s ruling saying if the 2G scam can be debated in Parliament while being heard by the top court, why this matter cannot be taken up by the Assembly. National Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh and CPI(M) MLA M.Y. Tari-gami supported the demand for discussion in the House. “The matter is not yet under the purview of judicial inquiry as the same has not been established yet. There should be no hesitation in discussing it,” Mr Singh said. — PTI
***
Three PDP MLAs suspended
Srinagar, Oct. 4: Three Opposition PDP legislators were suspended from Tuesday’s proceeding of J&K Legislative Council after they broke into the House demanding a discussion on the alleged custodial death of a National Conference worker. Deputy chairman Arvin-der Singh Mickey suspended the three PDP members — Murtaza Khan, Ashraf Ali and Nizam-ud-din Khatana. — PTI