Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Mar 27: Entire Opposition today held strong protest and staged dharna in the `Well’ of the Upper House and stalled normal business on the issue of refusal of the Union Government to handover Dul Hasti and Uri Power projects to J&K, forcing Chairman of the Legislative Council to adjourn the House thrice.
Immediately after the Legislative Council commenced its proceedings, all the Opposition members from National Conference and Congress stood up and started protest against Coalition Government and Modi Government in Delhi. NC member Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo and Dr Shehnaz Ganai raised newspapers and pointed towards the chairman that New Delhi has refused to hand over Power Projects to J&K while PDP continued to befool the people of this State and even incorporated the same in its Common Minimum Programme and the election agenda.
Ravinder Sharma, Naresh Gupta, Jugal Kishore, Sham Lal Bhagat, Ghulam Nabi Monga and Rani Gargi Billoweria from Congress, Ajay Sadhotra, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone, Master Noor Hussain, Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri, Ali Mohd Dar and D S Oberoi from National Conference joined the protest and alleged that PDP has betrayed the people of this State. The NDA Government has refused to handover the projects while Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed even in the House talked about return of these Hydel Power Projects from NHPC. The PDP has misled the House and the people of this issue. They demanded that Mufti Sayeed and his Ministers should resign on moral grounds as they have duped the people of this State and the members of both the Houses.
Naresh Gupta alleged that Mufti Government has betrayed the people of this State. Moreover, people of the State have no much expectations from Modi- led NDA Government at the Centre. He said it is cheating with the people of this State and Mufti Sayeed owe a reply to the people of this State.
They started shouting slogans, `Coalition Government…. Hai…Hai,.. Modi Govt… Hai Hai’. Then the members from Treasury Benches including Vibodh Gupta and Sofi Yousuf from BJP, Surinder Choudhary from PDP stood up and asked where they were in last six years. Why they were silent on the issue and what they did to get back these projects from the Centre. Who gave these projects to NHPC and who is responsible for loot and plunder in the State, they alleged. They also came into the Well of the House and started protest. Some of the members staged dharna in the Well. Nothing was audible in the din and it was total chaos and pandemonium in the House.
Chairman of the Council failed to restore order in the House despite repeated efforts. Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh ( In-charge Power Ministry) tried to intervene and give some statement but he also had to take his seat back as nothing was audible amidst loud noise. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Sayed Basharat Bukhari also tried to intervene and asked agitating members to take seat pleading that Government would give reply on the issue but they continued to protest and the business (Question Hour) got disrupted for about 12 minutes. The Chairman, Amrit Malhotra adjourned the House for 10 minutes at 11.13 am.
The House resumed its business at 11.36 AM but the Opposition members again resorted to protest. They started shouting loud slogans against NDA Govt and BJP-PDP Coalition Government. Despite repeated pleas by the Chairman, the members did not allow the business to be continue. They demanded that Government should tender apology to the people of the State or step down and come out of coalition from BJP.
Minister for CAPD Ch Zulfkar Ali then stood up and yelled at the agitated NC members asking who handed over the J&K hydel power projects to the NHPC? He said it was Dr Farooq Abdullah who did so and caused extensive damage to the State and surrendered the interests of the State. What they did during last six years. Why they kept silent for so many years? This irked the Opposition members and they also shouted at the Minister and raised allegations. The BJP and PDP members also stood up and traded charges. The NC-Congress members then again moved to the Well and sat on dharna in front of the Chairman’s chair. The Chairman against adjourned the House for 15 minutes at around 11.45 am.
The Legislative Council again resumed business and MoS Finance, Pawan Gupta started speaking on behalf of Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu to lay papers on the table of the House with regard to Audit Reports but the Opposition members again resorted to protest demonstration and loud sloganeering. Then the Chairman, adjourned the House at 12.16 pm for the entire day and the business was stalled.
It was the last day of the Chairman Amrit Malhotra in the House today besides other members -Ajay Kumar Sadhotra-NC, Bashir Ahmed Magray-Cong, Ravinder Sharma-Congress and Ghulam Qadir Pardesi-NC. The LC members as per tradition could not bid them farewell in the House, highlighting their contribution and performance during the tenure due to disruption in the business.
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