Unrest rocks legislature for second day, Omar leads walkout over CM’s absence

• Omar leads walkout of MLAs over Chief Minister’s absence
  
• Opposition blames PDP for civilian killings, asks Mehbooba to apologize
• State ruling through barrel of gun, Burhan ruling hearts of people: Rashid

The Legislative Assembly witnessed pandemonium over the civilian killings in Kashmir as the Opposition National Conference and Congress took a swipe on government for “letting loose reign of terror” on the protesters in the valley during the 2016 unrest.
The Legislative Assembly took up the discussion on the prevailing situation in Kashmir after the Speaker, Kavinder Gupta allowed the opposition members to move the motion in this regard in the House. The members who participated in the discussion included Minister for Social Welfare, Sajad Gani Lone, leader of the largest opposition party in the House, Omar Abdullah, Ali Muhammad Sagar, Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, Nawang Rigzin Jora, M Y Tarigami, Javaid Hassan Beigh, Sat Paul Sharma, Er Abdul Rashid, Bashir Ahmad Dar and Pawan Kumar Gupta.
NC and Congress members disrupted the Question Hour and pressed with their demand for an adjournment and discussion on the Kashmir deaths. They continued to raise slogans against the government for nearly half an hour following which the government budged to the demand of suspension of the question hour and holding of discussion.
The ruckus continued in the Assembly over the debate on killings which were triggered after the killing of HM militant commander, Burhan Wani. The legislators were seen holding placards hitting out at the government and seeking reply of the government over continuous killings.
Ten MLAs from the Opposition had given the notice for adjournment motion. Speaking over the issue, CPI (M) MLA, M Y Tarigami said the government should have no objection over holding debate on the Kashmir killings. He said the matter was of grave public importance and much more pressing than any other issue that was listed on the agenda of the Assembly.
Ruckus in the assembly continued in the second sitting as well. Led by NC working president and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, NC and Congress members walked out from the Assembly taking exception to the absence of CM from the House.
Earlier as the discussion over the killings dragged on, Deputy Speaker, Nazir Gurezi informed that the CM will give reply by 1 pm. However, as members sought more time to discuss the matter in view of the gravity of the issue, the chief minister couldn’t reply in time. Gurezi announced in the Assembly that Mehbooba will give the reply at 3 pm. However, when the second sitting of session started at 3 pm, absence of CM triggered the sharp reaction from the Opposition members.
By 3:15 pm Omar stood up stating that he has learnt that Mehbooba has left for Srinagar and the government was not serious about the issue. Led by Omar, all opposition members including that from Congress staged a walkout from the House.
While the NC MLAs were walking out, party’s Pahalgam MLA, Altaf Kaloo had a heated exchange with Law Minister, Abdul Haq Khan, and he tore the papers in the well of the House. Earlier Omar accused PDP MP, Muzafar Hussain Beigh, of stating that Kashmiri youth were picking up guns even for money, which was, however, denied by his brother and Baramulla MLA, Javed Beigh.
Beigh said he had spoken to his brother outside the Assembly and he had SMSed him that he had not made such a statement. During the din, NC MLA, Abdul Majid Larmi waved his cellphone in the Assembly which appeared to be the clip of the statement made by Beigh.
In the second sitting of the Assembly, MLA Er Rashid, was taken out by the watch and ward staff as he entered into noisy scenes with BJP MLAs including Ravinder Raina for seeking a plebiscite on both sides of the LOC. Rashid said militant commander, Burhan Wani ruled the hearts of people of Kashmir due to which his killing had witnessed massive participation of the people.
However, MLAs including former Minister, Pawan Gupta, took a strong note of his statement describing it as “unparliamentary” and “anti-national’’ statement.
Rashid said the PDP and NC MLAs were resorting to double speak, while stating that Jammu and Kashmir was an independent state on August 1947 when the two nations of India and Pakistan were created in the communal division.
Rashid termed the debate over Kashmir killings as a “futile exercise’’. He instead stressed on the fact that Kashmir dispute should be resolved at the earliest.
“J&K had never been India’s integral part nor will it remain in future unless people of the state don’t decide so through a plebiscite,’’ he said.
He slammed New Delhi for its “unrealistic stand and colonial attitude towards people of state”.
“While just few hundred people participated in the funeral of late Chief Minister Mufti Sahab, about fifty thousand participated in the funeral of Abu Qasim, a non-state subject, only for the reason that for Kashmiris militants are not terrorists. Those citing 1987 rigged elections as a reason to militancy are absolutely wrong in a saying so as the history is witness to the fact that when people are deprived of their fundamental rights it gives birth to Yasir Arafat, Subash Chandra Bose, Raj Guru or Burhan Wani.
“Let world understand that lakhs don’t turn up to the funeral of terrorists and the huge funeral of Burhan is enough to conclude that while state is ruling through the barrel of gun, Burhan was ruling the hearts of people. It is not New Delhi but Burhan and Abu Dujana ruling the state,” he said.
Rashid reminded the members that the militants are not taking arms for being uneducated or to get monetary benefits “but their one point agenda is to ask New Delhi to fulfill promises made to them at UN”.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti is scheduled to reply to the discussion in the House on 9th January.