J&K Assembly autumn session opens amid uproar, adjourned for the day
The first day of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly's autumn session was disrupted by protests from BJP members, leading to an adjournment before 11 am.
The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly convened on Monday and was adjourned for the day within hours after noisy protests by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members against the Omar Abdullah government.
The sitting began with Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather reading obituary references for former members who had died since the Budget session, including former minister Mustafa Kamal. As soon as he finished, BJP legislators, among them Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, raised slogans against the government. Some members moved into the Well of the House.
CPIM leader M Y Tarigami, seated on the treasury benches, countered the protest by calling for a slogan demanding the restoration of statehood, noting that two years had passed since an elected government took office without that outcome. Congress and National Conference legislators then raised slogans against the BJP.
The Speaker urged members to let Question Hour proceed and warned the BJP of action, telling the protesting members, "Gundagardi nahi chalegi" (hooliganism will not be allowed). Despite the pandemonium, some legislators managed to put their questions. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary told the Opposition that the government was ready to address all questions, but they should be asked one by one, adding that the government was prepared to respond to every issue and that the Opposition appeared uninterested in public welfare.
Speaking outside the Assembly, Sharma said the chief minister had made lofty promises but, two years on, only repeated that he lacked power and that the government could not function. He alleged that basic amenities had not been provided, corruption was rampant, daily wagers were on the streets and every section of society felt betrayed. He also criticised the outsourcing of government jobs, calling for greater transparency, and said it was the principal Opposition party's responsibility to hold the government accountable. Sharma added that the Government of India was committed to restoring statehood and that if statehood were the answer to every query, the current set-up should be dissolved.