Srinagar, Sep 22: BJP legislators staged a walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday after disrupting Question Hour amid heated exchanges with ruling party members.
The developments came after BJP MLA S S Salathia asked the Speaker to direct the government to respond to issues and questions raised by BJP members during the first day of the autumn session.
Amid the exchanges, a Congress MLA accused the BJP members of repeatedly disrupting the proceedings and said the party had “ended the dignity of the House.”
“We come here to raise public issues, but they disrupt the House,” the legislator said.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather urged members to maintain order and assured them that adequate time would be provided to discuss the issue of holidays.
“I will give you appropriate time to discuss the issue of holidays in the House, but allow the House to run smoothly,” Rather said.
The Speaker also cautioned members against bypassing parliamentary procedure while raising issues.
“Everybody is trying to act like a Speaker here. I won’t allow this to happen here,” Rather said, adding that there was a proper procedure for discussing issues and seeking answers from the government.
The BJP members subsequently staged a walkout from the House after disrupting Question Hour.
As the BJP legislators walked out, ruling party members, including Congress MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone, raised slogans of “Chanda Chor” inside the House.
The walkout came amid continued tension in the Assembly over remarks by NC MLA Majid Larmi regarding restoration of holidays associated with Sheikh Abdullah, which had earlier triggered noisy scenes in the House. (With inputs from Syed Rizwan Geelani)
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