Srinagar, Sep 29: Congress MLA Nizam Uddin Bhat on Tuesday sought a discussion in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on the communication from the Chief Secretary and Law Secretary regarding the statehood resolution.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Bhat questioned the legal basis for treating the J&K Legislature differently from other State Legislatures and demanded that the communication be made part of the Assembly record.
“Let them show me where it has been said that this legislature is different from the legislature of states. Is it somewhere in the Constitution?” Bhat asked.
Referring to Article 239 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, Bhat said neither provides a basis for curbing the authority of the legislature.
Questioning restrictions on the functioning of Ministers and the challenge to the Speaker’s authority, Bhat said, “This is absolutely unconstitutional. Ministers have a mandate from the people and are accountable to them.”
He urged that the letter from the Chief Secretary and Law Secretary be placed before the House for a detailed discussion, asserting that the authority and privileges of this representative institution must be respected.—(KNO)
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