Srinagar, Sep 16 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Wednesday defended the duration of the upcoming Assembly session, citing records of shorter sessions in several BJP-ruled states and saying the schedule of the J&K House could be extended depending on the legislative business.

Responding to criticism from Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma over the session being too short, Rather said several BJP-ruled states had fewer sittings during their recent monsoon sessions

“Uttar Pradesh had four sittings. Delhi had three sittings, Rajasthan two, Haryana three and Madhya Pradesh five sittings,” Rather said in an exclusive interview with KNS.

He also cited Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, saying the former had three sittings while the latter had five. Bihar and Jharkhand, he said, had five sittings each.

“We have called a session of 10 days. There are seven sittings,” Rather said, adding that the calendar was provisional.

“By looking at the business, the sittings can be increased,” he said.

Rather said Sharma was representing the BJP and therefore he was referring to the records of BJP-ruled states while responding to the criticism.

“I am saying BJP because Sharma is representing BJP. Whatever he has said, he has said it on behalf of BJP,” he said, while adding that Sharma was his friend and “not our enemy”.

The Speaker also referred to the previous autumn sessions of the erstwhile J&K legislature.

“In 2017, the autumn session was held for four days. Only four days,” Rather said, pointing out that the BJP-led government was in power at the time.

He said the 2015 autumn session had seven days of sittings.

“If you say today that the 10-day session is a joke, we should look at the record of the whole country.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelWe should look at the record of our past. Then we should go and talk,” Rather said.

On allegations of bias against him, Rather said he had placed the records before the media for scrutiny.

“When someone says that you are biased, I feel very bad. Bias is a big curse for me,” he said.

“But if you say that I am biased, the record is in front of you. You decide,” he added.

Rather said preparations for the session had been completed, with the Assembly receiving notices for questions, bills and resolutions within the prescribed timelines.

“We have received the notice of questions, we have received the notice of bills and we have also received the notice of resolutions,” he said.

He said meetings had also been held with security officials, Assembly secretariat officials and other departments to ensure the smooth conduct of the proceedings.

“I advised them that this session should run in a hassle-free manner. The members should not have any problem. The press and media should not have any problem,” Rather said.

The Speaker also said he had interacted with media representatives and sought their suggestions on covering the proceedings.

An all-party meeting and a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee will also be held, he said.

Rather said the objective was to ensure that the House functions smoothly and takes up issues concerning the people.

J&K is currently a Union Territory and several legislative matters fall within the domain of the Centre, he pointed out.

“Today, we are a Union Territory. A lot of our laws are made at the Centre,” Rather said. (KNS)