Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 21: The brief but stormy autumn session of the Legislature is set to begin with a series of adjournment motions by different political parties, which they proposed to move seeking suspension of the business right from Day one to discuss prevailing situation in different parts of the State.
Nine days long autumn session of the Legislature beginning September 30 in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State with just seven sittings, is expected to be stormy as it could well be last session in Srinagar and second last of 11th Legislative Assembly as the State was scheduled to go for Assembly elections next year. This will be 10th session of the present Assembly.
Official sources told the Excelsior that all major political parties were likely to move the adjournment motions in the Assembly on Day 1. While BJP, BJP rebels, National Panthers Party and Jammu State Morcha would move adjournment motion to discuss Kishtwar situation and its aftermath, the main opposition party, the PDP and the CPM were likely to bring a motion on Shopian situation.
To counter the opposition onslaught, ruling National Conference might itself move an adjournment motion on Shopian situation as well as latest expose that former Army chief Gen VK Singh had plotted to topple Omar Abdullah Government.
All major political parties including NC, Congress and PDP have convened their Legislature Party meetings in Srinagar on September 28 or 29 to discuss their strategy for the session. The separate Legislature Party meetings of NC and Congress would be followed by a joint meeting of the two parties on September 29, which among others would be attended by NC president and Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PCC (I) chief Prof Saif-ud-Din Soz.
Insiders in the National Conference admitted that the defensive party leadership on Kishtwar and Shopian situation has suddenly got a lease of life with disclosures that Gen VK Singh, who had shared dais with BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at Rewari, Haryana recently, had plotted to topple Omar Government during his tenure as Army chief.
Anticipating that the PDP was out and out to exploit Shopian situation to its advantage by moving an adjournment motion to discuss killings of four persons, sources said the NC might ask its MLAs to move a similar motion to discuss the situation to ensure that the opposition party didn’t manage to get maximum advantage.
The BJP, BJP rebels, NPP and JSM were likely to move separate adjournment motions to discuss Kishtwar situation, where minorities had suffered heavy losses of property on August 9 violence and hadn’t been paid even a single penny of relief so far despite assurances from the Government, which has ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Sources said the issues of West Pakistan, PoK and other refugees, which have been hanging fire for the past several years, would be pursued vigorously by the BJP, BJP rebels, NPP and JSM. The delay in holding of Local Bodies and Block Development Council elections and implementation of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in Jammu and Kashmir would also be taken up by these political parties.
“Shopian situation and other human rights violations in Kashmir are on top of our agenda. There is all-round failure of the Government. The development has come to a standstill. Some works are being carried out only in the areas of ruling party leaders. We will take the Government to task on all these issues,’’ PDP chief whip in Assembly, Abdul Gaffar Sofi said.
NPP leader Harshdev Singh said: “be it Shopian, Ramban or Kishtwar, the law and order is at its worst. There has been total collapse of Constitutional apparatus. The issues of the people including relief for Kishtwar victims, rainfall affected people etc have not been addressed’’.
Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Tara Chand said the Government was fully prepared to meet with any situation in the Assembly. “The Government has been trying its best to tackle the situation everywhere,’’ he added.
Sources admitted that the Congress would find it difficult to counter Jammu based opposition on the issues like Kishtwar violence, problems of West Pakistan and PoK refugees, holding of Local Bodies and BDC elections and implementation of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in Jammu and Kashmir.
Recently, AICC (I) general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ambika Soni had given two months time-frame to National Conference to include major provisions of 73rd amendment of the Constitution of India in the State Panchayati Raj Act.
Sources said though the session was brief with just seven sittings in nine days, it was likely to witness lot of fireworks as it could well be last session of the Legislature in summer capital of the State as elections were due in the State in October-December next year if they were not advanced.
One more session of the Legislature, which would be 11th session of 11th Legislature, was likely to be held in February-April next year for presentation of the budget. The session could be advanced as Lok Sabha elections were due in April-May and the code of conduct could be imposed in February.
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