Srinagar, Sep 28: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned for half-an-hour today after Opposition BJP members demanded that the Speaker drop the resolution seeking clemency for Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru from the list of the day's business.
BJP and National Panthers Party (NPP) MLAs took to their feet as soon as the House assembled for the day's proceedings.
They demanded that the resolution seeking clemency for Guru, which was listed in the business for today, be dropped from the list.
As the BJP and NPP MLAs disrupted the Question Hour proceedings, Congress MLAs including ministers also rose from their seats, demanding expulsion of the BJP MLAs who were allegedly involved in cross voting during the Legislative Council elections earlier this year.
While Congress ministers continued to stand at their seats, MLAs from the party stormed the Well of the House.
All pleas of Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone to restore order in the House failed and prompted him to adjourn proceedings for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, Independent MLA Shiekh Abdul Rashid said political parties in the state Assembly were sabotaging the resolution seeking clemency for Guru at the behest of the Central government.
“They are sabotaging my resolution on Afzal Guru. They are doing it at the behest of New Delhi... All of them are involved including PDP whose members remained silent,” Rashid claimed.
The resolution seeking clemency for Guru, who is on death row for his role in the attack on the Parliament in December 2001, was submitted to the Speaker by Rashid on September 2.
“It (the uproar in the House) was engineered on the directions of New Delhi. Let me warn the Government of India that by doing this, they digging their graves in Kashmir,” Rashid said.
The MLA said it was not a coincidence that the timing of the Assembly was reduced by two hours and five call attention motions and two resolutions were inserted in the business ahead of the discussion over the resolution.
“It was done to ensure that this resolution cannot be taken up for discussion,” he alleged.
Uproarious scenes were again witnessed as the House reassembled after the first adjournment.
With the pandemonium continuing, the Speaker adjourned the House for one hour. PTI
