Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 10: In a significant decision, Legislative Council Chairman, Amrit Malhotra has admitted three privilege motion including one against Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohi-ud-Din and two against Vijay Bakaya, former Chief Secretary and National Conference MLC and Murtaza Khan, PDP MLC.
Mr Bakaya and Mr Khan have filed privilege motions against each other while lone MLC of National Panthers Party (NPP) Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah has filed the motion against Taj.
Mr Malhotra, a veteran Congress leader and Chairman Legislative Council, has admitted all three privilege motions and referred them to Privilege Committee headed by former Minister Ajatshatru Singh.
The significant decision of Mr Malhotra came days ahead of the start of autumn session of the Legislature in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, on October 1, which, albeit brief with 7 sittings only, was expected to be very stormy.
“I have admitted all three privilege motions and referred them to the Privilege Committee after hearing all the concerned parties’’, Mr Malhotra said, adding the Privilege Committee has been asked to examine the privilege motions and submit recommendations.
Both Houses of the Legislature are meeting in Srinagar from October 1-10 with seven sittings after a gap of nearly six months. Budget session of the Legislature had adjourned on April 4.
This was after a long gap that three privilege motions have been moved and admitted by the Chairman in one go.
The spat between Mr Bakaya and Mr Khan had taken place on July 18 this year during a meeting of the House Committee, constituted by the Legislative Council Chairman to look into the issues related to acquisition of land for Samba Industrial Growth Centre III in Srinagar.
“Before the formal meeting, Mr Khan raised the matter regarding copies of my letter of 1995 when I was posted as Commissioner Industries and Commerce. Mr Khan advised me to withdraw from the Committee as the letter showed that I had interest in the case’’, Mr Bakaya has said in his motion of breach of privilege against Mr Khan, which he had submitted to the Council Chairman.
He has charged Mr Khan with using indecent and abusive language against him and assaulting him physically breaching his privilege as a member of the House.
In his privilege motion, Murtaza Khan said while referring to the letter of 1995 he had said that had he been in the place of Mr Bakaya he would have withdrawn from the House Committee. On this, Mr Bakaya started shouting and remarked: “I don’t believe in your hypocritical morality’’, he added.
Mr Khan said calling some “hypocrite’’ was derogatory and, therefore, he was forced to move privilege motion against Mr Bakaya. He said he would have ignored the issue but since Mr Bakaya had made the issue out of nothing, he was forced to move privilege motion against him.
NPP MLC Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah had moved privilege motion against PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din saying he asked him to get out of the meeting of District Development Board (DDB) of Kupwara on June 25. Mr Shah said when his turn came to speak, Taj asked him to stop as MLAs have already spoken.
“I went ahead with my speech but Taj announced end of the meeting. Even SP Kupwara and SP Handwara were seen approaching me to remove me from the meeting’’, Mr Shah said, adding that the Minister paid no attention towards his speech.
Describing Taj Mohi-ud-Din as a “negligent person’’ in his privilege motion, Mr Shah said there was no eligibility for him to remain in the office and he was forced to move the motion against him.
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