Srinagar, Oct 07 (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta Wednesday revoked the suspension of two Opposition National Conference legislators after the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and other legislators requested him.
Gupta, after the announcement, directed CPI (M) leader and legislator M Y Tarigami to inform the protesting National Conference legislators.
Speaker on Tuesday had suspended two NC legislators- Altaf Kaloo and Abdul Majid Larmi- after they created ruckus during the Question Hour in the House on Tuesday over the speaker’s refusal to discuss Article 35 A.
Mufti while demanding revocation said that the opposition has every right to discuss each and every issues in the house.
“Opposition has a role to oppose, depose, and expose. If we don’t debate here where else will we go. We are here to debate as democracy is the battle of ideas. When we were in opposition we too raised public issues,” he said.
Mufti also hailed the role of the Speaker for conducting the house proceedings with “dignity and honor”.
“I am glad on the role you (Speaker) play as a speaker. Even Congress legislator Usman Majeed tried to snatch your mike but you continued to hold business peacefully. But it is not good to see that Opposition is not present here. We request you to revoke the suspension orders as we want them to raise issue so that we respond to their issues,” he said.
As soon as the House started its proceedings Congress legislators and independent MLAs Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen and M Y Tarigami stood up from their benches and requested the speaker to revoke the suspension orders of the NC legislators.
Chairman Peoples Democratic Party Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen while demanding revocation of the suspension orders said that opposition has a bigger role to play during the session.
“Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed has always said that opposition’s role is to criticize and oppose the government. We have to raise issues and make government accountable on these issues,” he said.
Congress legislator Usman Majeed accused the speaker of not listening to the Opposition. “You always look at the other side and ignore opposition members. We request you to give us a chance to speak and immediately revoke the suspension orders of the NC legislators,” he said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Meanwhile, another Congress legislator, Ajaz Ahmad Khan said that the suspension orders issued by the speaker were undemocratic. “You are the custodian of the house. Instead of empowering the legislators, you have snatched their rights. Earlier speaker used to warn if any member created ruckus but this time you have expelled them without any warning, which is undemocratic,” he said.
He also demanded that suspension orders to be revoked.
Son, Gupta revoked the orders and asked NC legislators to attend the proceedings.
He also directed legislator M Y Tarigami to convey his orders to the NC legislators. “I don’t like to suspend any member. But there was such a situation that I was compelled to take the decision. Now, I revoke the suspension orders and direct Tarigami to convey the same to the NC legislators,” he added.
However, when Tarigami returned the house after conveying speakers directions to the NC legislators said that, “I conveyed your direction and they agreed to resume but they want suspension orders of their other two members in upper house, so I think there may be little delay,” he added.
Meanwhile, former chief minister and opposition National Conference acting president, Omar Abdullah Wednesday alleged that government under a well designed ploy was trying to divide opposition to evade facing serious issues in both houses during the ongoing autumn session.
Abdullah, who led the NC’s protest outside assembly complex on Wednesday against the suspension of its four members in lower and upper houses, said that PDP- BJP government was trying to hide on every important issue citing the matter is sub- judice.
“We are not here by the choice but compelled to sit outside the assembly to protest against the suspension of our members in both houses,” Omar told Media.
“Under a well designed ploy and on behest of ruling parties both speaker assembly as well as chairman of the council expelled our members to weaken the voice of the opposition parties,” he alleged.
He said that even Congress members also stormed into the well of the assembly but only NC members were suspended.
The protesting legislators raised “Nagpur agenda hai hai, Mufti- Modi hai hai” slogans. (KNS)