SRINAGAR — The autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly began amid noisy protests on Monday, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators raising issues related to power tariffs, electricity supply and the regularisation of daily-wagers and National Health Mission (NHM) employees.
As soon as the obituary references were concluded, BJP lawmakers stood up and raised slogans demanding justice for daily-wagers and NHM employees while also protesting against the government over electricity supply and tariff issues, according to the news agency KNO.
The protesting legislators raised slogans including “Jo Sarkar Na De Sakhe Bijli Pani, Woh Sarkar Nakami” (A government that fails to provide power and water is incompetent), “Insaf Karo, Daily-wagers Ke Sath” (Do justice with daily-wagers) and “Insaf Karo, NHM Employees Ke Sath” (Do justice with NHM employees).
Carrying placards, BJP members also raised “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram” slogans.
Despite the protests, ministers continued responding to questions raised by other members.
Congress legislators Irfan Hafiz Lone and Iftikhar Ahmad also intervened, although their exchanges with the BJP members could not be clearly heard amid the din.
When CPI(M) leader Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami stood up to respond to the BJP members, several BJP legislators moved into the well of the House and continued raising slogans against the government.
National Conference (NC) MLAs subsequently joined the protests and raised slogans demanding restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather repeatedly appealed to the protesting legislators to return to their seats and warned of action.
“Go to your seats,” Rather urged, but BJP members remained in the well and continued their sloganeering.
During the uproar, NC MLA Nazir Gurezi accused the BJP of wasting the Assembly’s time.
“They should protest in Delhi rather than here,” Gurezi told the Speaker.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, meanwhile, alleged that the BJP did not want the government to resolve issues confronting the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“If they are sincere to the people of J&K, they should listen to the government’s answers. The government is ready to respond,” he said.
The Speaker later adjourned the House for the day after Minister for Rural Development Javid Dar introduced a bill seeking to amend cooperative law.
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