Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 29: Further reducing the business by a day in the Legislative Assembly, the Assembly Secretariat has kept first day of the autumn session, beginning in Srinagar tomorrow, for obituary reference leaving only six working days instead of earlier seven in nine days brief session, which would conclude on October 8.
Almost all major opposition groups have moved adjournment motions for October 1 as the Assembly Secretariat hasn’t listed any business for September 30 excepting obituary reference for DC Parshant, former Rajya Sabha member, Daya Krishan Kotwal, former MLC and a former Secretary of the Assembly, Ghulam Nabi Shora, who passed away during past six months.
Surprisingly, the National Conference and Congress, the two Alliance partners have shelved the tradition of holding joint meeting of its legislators on the eve of the Legislature session.
“No joint meeting of the coalition partners has been scheduled either today or tomorrow,’’ senior leaders of NC and Congress confirmed but didn’t give any reasons for not holding the meeting.
Planning and Development Minister Ajay Sadhotra said the meeting can be held between the session also.
The two parties—NC and Congress even didn’t hold separate meetings of their legislators parties today, like the Opposition, to discuss their floor strategy especially in the wake of a series of adjournment motions proposed to be moved by the opposition for October 1.
The main opposition party—the PDP with 21 MLAs met at the residence of party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for three hours this evening and decided that all its MLAs will move an adjournment motion in the Assembly on October 1 seeking suspension of entire business in the House to discuss human rights violations across the State in the wake of Shopian, Kishtwar, Gool and Baramulla killings.
PDP president and Leader of PDP Legislature Party Mehbooba Mufti chaired the meeting.
PDP chief whip in the Assembly Abdul Gaffar Sofi, former Minister told the Excelsior that all MLAs of the party would be moving the adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the killings. In addition, the PDP decided to corner the Government on its “failure on all fronts including unemployment, backdoor appointments, power crisis etc’’, he added.
Seven BJP rebels headed by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta have also moved an adjournment motion for October 1 to discuss the terror attack at Hiranagar and Samba, August 9 violence in Kishtwar and “explosive revelations’’ by former Army chief Gen VK Singh on payment of money to the Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Government.
BJP rebel MLA Jagdish Sapolia said all seven MLAs of Prof Gupta group have moved the adjournment motion.
“We will be seeking a full fledged discussion on our motion,’’ he added.
National Panthers Party (NPP) Legislature Party leader and former Minister Harshdev Singh said the NPP has moved the adjournment motion on twin terror attacks by the militants at Hiranagar and Samba on Thursday in which 10 persons including eight security personnel and two civilians were killed apart from three fidayeens.
Mr Singh regretted that seven sittings autumn session has been further reduced by a day as no business has been listed on Day 1 i.e. September 30 except for obituary reference. After the obituary reference, the Government should have listed the business for the day, he said, adding, “we have now, therefore, moved the adjournment motion for October 1 seeking suspension of business for that day to discuss terror killings’’.
The BJP MLAs haven’t moved any adjournment motion so far as they were camping here to attend RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s programme. They would reach Srinagar tomorrow and were likely to move the adjournment motion on terror attacks and Kishtwar killings.
Meanwhile, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul said though it is a short session, he will try to accommodate as many issues of public interest as possible.
“Each political party will be given due time to raise public interest issues,” Mr Gul said.
The Speaker said there would be seven working days during the session.
Meanwhile, after recent militant attacks, security in and around the Assembly and in entire Srinagar has been intensified to prevent any untoward incident during the Assembly session.
A senior police officer said that a three-tier security has been put in place around the State Assembly to prevent any militant attack during the session. “Additional deployment of police and para-military forces has been made in the city on the occasion”, the officer said.
The mobile security bunkers have been stationed at various sensitive places to prevent any strike by militants. Additional check posts have been erected to check the movement of suspicious vehicles and persons.
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