Jammu: Uproar was witnessed in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday as the BJP MLAs demanded a National Law University for Jammu, and NC and PDP members raised the issue of attacks on Kashmiris outside the union territory.
Noisy scenes marred the proceedings of the House, with both the opposition and ruling party legislators vehemently debating their issues.
Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, decided to continue with the Question Hour despite the uproar and dismissed the adjournment motion moved by PDP MLA, Wahid-ur-Rehman Para to discuss the incidents of “hate crime” against Kashmiris elsewhere in the country.
As the Assembly proceedings started, BJP MLA Surjit Singh Slathia raised the issue of Jammu University students, who have taken to the streets in support of a law university. Slathia said his party was not against granting National Law University (NLU) for Kashmir, but also wants one such university for Jammu to fulfil the demand of the students.
While Slathia was speaking, other BJP MLAs also stood up and displayed placards in support of the demand and raised slogans like “NLU for Jammu”.
Congress legislator Nizam-ud-Din Bhat objected to the display of placards and said the recent meeting of the business advisory committee decided to maintain the decorum of the House while raising any issue.
“The action of displaying placards by BJP legislators is akin to encroachment and intrusion, which is not acceptable. The government granted permission for NLU in Kashmir following due process,” Congress MLA Bhat said.
While uproar was continuing, NC MLA Mubarak Gul alleged that Kashmiri students and traders are facing harassment and assault in different parts of the country, which is not acceptable.
PDP’s Waheed-ur-Rehman Para informed the Speaker that he had moved an adjournment motion to discuss growing incidents of “hate crime” against Kashmiri students and others.
NC MLA, Saifullah Mir, alleged that dozens of Kashmiris living outside the UT are not allowed to move out of their accommodations and are facing assault if they come out, which needs government intervention.
The Speaker intervened time and again and also requested the members to maintain the decorum of the House. “There is no question of adjournment motion because the issues raised can be taken up through other means in an appropriate manner without disrupting the Question Hour, which can be used to make the government accountable”, the Speaker ruled.
He said the J&K government has already taken up the issue of harassment of Kashmiris with various state governments and is thankful to the Uttarakhand chief minister for taking immediate action recently in one such case.
Earlier, NC MLAs sat on a ‘dharna’ outside the House against attacks on Kashmiris and also in support of their demand for restoration of statehood.
(IANS)
