JAMMU : Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was today adjourned thrice as pandemonium broke out after Opposition members created unruly scenes over Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’ statement that the body of Afzal Guru will not be returned to his family.
The House proceedings were marred by unruly scenes, sloganeering and high-pitched verbal duel by the entire Opposition over Shinde’s statement.
Shinde had yesterday ruled out handing over of the body of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru to his family in Kashmir and said “the body has been buried according the jail manual and there was no way it could be handed over.”
As the House assembled this morning, PDP members stood up from the Opposition benches and raised slogans against the Union Home Minister, condemning his statement.
PDP member Syed Bashir and Javed Mustafa Mir said the Union Home Minister had hurt the House as the members cutting across partylines had demanded return of Guru’s body to his family.
They demanded reply from the government on the issue.
Speaker Mubarak Gul intervened and said the government cannot make statement on the comment of the Union Home Minister only on the basis of media reports.
He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will take up the issue with authorities concerned and will then make a statement in the House.
This provoked Opposition members, and PDP leaders trooped into the Well, shouting ‘Guru ki body ko wapas lao wapas lao– resolution lao resolution lao.’
Opposition members of BJP, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and Jammu State Morcha (JSM) also raised slogans, forcing the Speaker to adjourned the House.
When the Assembly resumed proceedings at 1048 hours, Opposition PDP continued its demand for statement from the government over the issue.
CPI(M) member M Y Tarigami also criticised Union Home Minister and called for resolution on the issue.
Meanwhile, BJP member Ashok Khajuria, JKNPP member Balwant Singh Mankotia and JSM member Ashwani Sharma blamed PDP for making the House a political battlefield to score over ruling party.
“They have turned the House as a political battle ground without caring for taking up the issues of public. They have been raising only Kashmir-centric demands and issues connected with terrorists,” JSM member Ashwani Sharma said.
As the uproarious scenes prevailed, the speaker adjourned the House again at 1059 hours.
When the House reassembled again at around 1117 hours, Law Minister Mir Saifullah made a statement.
He said, “Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s stand has been that mortal remains of Guru ‘Sahib’ should be return — it is also the stand of National Conference (NC) — if the central government can offer body of Ajmal Kasab to Pakistan, they should have no hesitation in handing over the body of Guru to his family in Kashmir.”
“It (Shinde’s statement) is a newspaper report till now and the state government is studying his statement and government’s stand is clear on it,” he said, adding “this House makes a request to the Centre to return the body of Guru.”
Unsatisfied by the reply, PDP members trooped into the Well and jumped on the reporting tables before the Speaker’s chair, forcing the staff to leave their seats.
Independent MLA Rashid threw mikes and tried to throw chairs and tables but was prevented by marshals.
Members of BJP, JKNPP and JSM angered over the Law Minister addressing Guru as ‘Sahab’ also trooped into the Well, raising slogans Bharat mata ki jai, bharat mata ki jai’.
They stood atop tables and treasury benches shouting slogans resulting in pandemonium in the House.
Amid uproarious scenes, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather presented grants in the House. The Speaker took a voice vote on the grants and passed in the House.
The Speaker later adjourned the House till 3:00 PM as the opposition members continued their protest. (AGENCIES)
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