*Omar, Jora allege failure of coalition, PDP-BJP counter charges
Sanjeev Pargal/ Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 27: Opposition National Conference and Congress today created unprecedented pandemonium in the Legislative Assembly in both sittings of the day by trooping near the Well of the House, indulging in massive sloganeering, tearing off papers and books and grappling with the Marshals to protest a reported statement of Union Power Minister Piyush Goel that the Central power projects can’t be given back to Jammu and Kashmir due to legal and financial implications. Return of the Central power projects to Jammu and Kashmir was part of the `Agenda of the Alliance’ of newly formed PDP-BJP Government.
Despite two adjournments during Question Hour, which was completely disrupted by the agitated Opposition MLAs led by former Chief Minister and NC Legislature Party leader Omar Abdullah and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rigzin Jora, Speaker Kavinder Gupta put to vote the demands of Education and Health and Medical Education Ministries to vote without any debate or reply within 15 minutes after the Question Hour as there was no let up in the protests. The grants were passed and the Speaker adjourned the House at 11.15 am till 3 pm for second sitting of the House.
In the second sitting also, the protests by the Opposition members continued even after the MLAs, protesting near the Well of the Assembly, were marshaled out twice. The grants of R&B and PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Departments were passed in the second sitting with debate by some ruling party members and reply by the Ministers but their voice was lost in the din created by the protesting MLAs.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Haj and Auqaf Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, Education Minister Naeem Akhter and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basharat Bukhari intervened in the protests and told the Opposition MLAs that the Union Power Minister’s reply was given over a month ago when neither the PDP-BJP Government had been formed nor the `Agenda of the Alliance’ had come into force. Further, they said, the `Agenda of the Alliance’ has to be implemented in six year and not within a month. They launched counter attack on the NC-Congress saying they were in power at both State and Centre for past six years and wanted to know what steps they took for return of the power projects.
Trouble erupted in the Assembly as soon as the House started proceedings for the day at 10 am with all NC and Congress MLA apart from CPM legislator MY Tarigami and Independent MLA Engineer Abdul Rashid on their feet with some of them marching on the front row.
Former Chief Minister and NC Legislature Party leader Omar Abdullah said the PDP-BJP Government has lied in the Governor’s Address as well as Agenda of the Alliance on transfer of Central power projects to the State citing reply given to PDP Lok Sabha member from Srinagar Tariq Hamid Qarra by Union Power Minister (Piyush Goel) in Lok Sabha recently that the power projects to the State can’t be transferred due to legal and financial implications.
“Not only the Government has spoken lie in Agenda of the Alliance but it also made the Governor to speak lie in his Address to both Houses of the Legislature,” Omar said and asked how the people will trust their Common Minimum Programme?
“Either the Power Minister is right or the Governor,” he observed and said the Government has also done nothing on withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and release of political prisoners.
Omar said it has been written in the Governor’s Address and Agenda of the Alliance that the modalities for transfer of power projects is being worked out, which means that the Centre has agreed to return the projects and only modalities were to be worked out. “But what we listened from the Union Power Minister is totally reverse”.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta said the opposition members have brought the issue to the Government notice and they will make a reply.
However, the Speaker’s statement didn’t pacify the agitated opposition MLAs, who marched to middle of the House and tried to troop in the Well but were surrounded by the Marshals of the Assembly. While Omar Abdullah and other senior NC leaders including Mohammad Akbar Lone, Mubarak Gul, Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mian Altaf, CLP leader Rigzin Jora and Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and CPM MLA MY Tarigami kept on protesting from their seats, other NC and Congress MLAs were in the middle of the House shouting slogans `Dhokhebaazi Naheen Chalegi, `Dhokhebaaz Sarkaar Hai Hai and PDP-BJP coalition Hai Hai’.
Engineer Rashid, however, kept on shouting at both the treasury benches as well as opposition blaming both for not being sincere on transfer of Central power projects to the State. “Neither this side did anything nor the other side is doing,” he shouted while protesting in the House.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh’s intervention that he was not running away from the protests and that he would make a statement in the House after Question Hour didn’t pacify the unrelenting opposition members, who kept on shouting `CMP Dhokha Hai, Dhokhebaazi Naheen Chalegi, Beimaani Naheen Chalegi’.
The Speaker tried to proceed with the Question Hour but to no avail. He told Congress MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori that his adjournment motion on the same issue was received at 10 am and can’t be taken up for consideration as under Rules it had to be given an hour before start of the Question Hour.
As there was no let up in sloganeering by NC and Congress MLAs near the Well, the PDP and BJP countered them with `Chor Machaye Shor’. Amidst complete pandemonium with slogans from both sides renting the House, the Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes at 10.15 am.
As the House resumed at 10.30 am, there were similar scenes of uproar from the opposition benches. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Basharat Bukhari said the opposition members know the system of questions and replies. The question was given in the Parliament well before the Government was formed, he said adding that the State Government was yet to start official procedure on taking back the Central projects.
“We have just taken over the Government. We will fulfill the CMP. We will bring back all Central projects. The procedure will start soon,” Bukhari said.
However, Omar Abdullah countered him by saying that if the Union Power Minister would have replied to the question as “under consideration”, it would have made some sense but he has clearly ruled out return of Central projects citing financial and legal problems.
Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh then intervened and said the previous NC-Congress Government had miserably failed to bring back the power projects to the State though both parties were in power at Jammu and Kashmir and Centre.
“The reply of the Union Minister is more than month back when the State Government had not been formed. You couldn’t bring back the power projects in six years and you are asking us to bring them back within 15 days,” Dr Singh said countering the protests by the opposition members. He said the talks were on with the Centre and the opposition must keep patience.
NC MLA Devender Singh Rana, who was virtually leading the protests in the House as senior NC and Congress MLAs were agitating from their seats, said the Governor has been forced to tell a lie in the Address by the coalition Government, which was not acceptable. He charged the Government with hoodwinking people of the State by misleading Agenda of the Alliance and Governor’s Address.
As there was no end to the protests, Haj and Auqaf Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri said the Government was committed to implement Agenda of the Alliance.
“We have six years. We will go the people after six years by fully implementing the Agenda. The opposition has no issue and was making non-issue an issue,” he said.
In the meantime, the NC and Congress MLAs repeatedly tried to force their entry into the Well of the House. However, the Marshals pulled them back. NC MLA Abdul Majid Bhat Laram virtually reached into the Well from the opposition benches side but the Watch and Ward staff pushed him back. A marshal was also injured in the scuffle.
Finding no end to the protests, the Speaker again adjourned the House for five minutes at 10.50 pm.
Almost similar was the situation when the House resumed functioning at 10.55 am with opposition members trooping into the Well and treasury benches occasionally countering them with slogans.
Education Minister Naeem Akhter, whose grants were scheduled to be debated and passed in the Assembly today along with Health and Medical Education Ministry, said he was feeling ashamed at the behaviour of opposition members.
“You had permitted me to bring school students and staff to listen debate and reply on the grants of Education Minister. I regret what our members have been doing. I am feeling ashamed now for calling the students,” he said.
As Question Hour ended and the Speaker asked Minister of State for Finance Pawan Gupta to lay copies of CAG report in the House, the MLAs became more agitated and started tearing off books and papers and whatever they had with them and flung them in the House.
The MLAs tried to force their entry into the Well of the House but the Marshals repeatedly pull them back. In the process, NC MLA Abdul Majid Bhat Laram fell down and was injured in the arm. Several other MLAs also fell on the bench, reserved for the Ministers in middle of the front row. The bench also fell down in the process but the Marshals immediately restored it.
Some of the MLAs sat on dharna near the Well of the House while others kept protesting either in the Middle or from move benches.
The Speaker told the members that if they continued protests in the House in which nothing was audible and if they didn’t want to take part in the debate, he will ask the Minister to move pass motion for the grants.
The MLAs from both the sides continued to indulge in massive sloganeering. Amidst slogans, the Speaker asked Education Minister Naeem Akhter and Health and Medical Education Minister Choudhary Lal Singh to move pass motion of the grants, which they had earlier moved for debate in the House. The Ministers moved the pass motion and the Speaker took vote on them and the grants were passed without any debate and reply.
At 11.15 am, the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm (the second sitting of the House).
As the House assembled for second sitting at 3 pm, the NC members stood up from their seats, came to front rows and disrupted the proceedings with slogan shouting.
A high drama prevailed in the House for near two hours and to restore the order some of the Opposition members were marshaled out twice.
Soon after the House assembled, the opposition members came to front rows shouting slogans. However Speaker, Kavinder Gupta asked them to take their seats but to no avail as they continued sloganeering.
Not paying any heed to the agitated MLAs, the Speaker asked Minister of PWD, Altaf Ahmed Bukhari and Minister of PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control Ch. Sukhnandan to present the demand of grants before the House. The two Ministers stood up to lay the grants on the table of the House. Later, the Speaker asked PDP MLA Khaleel Bhand to initiate debate. Though Bhand stood up to speak, nothing was audible in the din as the Opposition members continued shouting slogans.
Some of them even came near the Well up to the desks of the Assembly reporters.
CLP leader Rigzin Jora, his party colleague Asgar Ali Karbalai and NC leader Devender Singh Rana as well as Usman Majid, G M Saroori and Vikar Rasool were leading in slogan shouting. Veteran NC leader Mohammed Shafi Uri, his party colleague Mohammed Akbar Lone and Mian Altaf also joined the protest. However, Omar Abdullah didn’t join proceedings in the second sitting.
As repeated pleas of Speaker failed to convince the opposition members who continued protest near well and at front row, Minister of CAPD and Tribal Affairs Choudhary Zulfikar stood up from his seat and retorted at Opposition. The Minister said people want water and House is discussing this important issue but the opposition is not allowing the House to function.
“If they want protest they can go outside and protest”, he added.
However paying no heed to it, the opposition continued shouting slogans “Dhokha Dharhi Nahin Chalay Gi” (deceit will not be allowed) and “Dada Giri Nahi Chalay Gi” (Highhandedness will not be allowed). Rana, who was near the Well, asked the coalition to seek an apology from the people for deceiving them. “You have said that power projects with NHPC will be transferred to the State while the Union Minister of Power has denied it,” he added.
As opposition continued to disrupt the proceedings and did not agree to take their seats, Ch Zulfkar again stood up asking them to maintain Parliamentary practices. He asked them to bring a resolution for discussion and Government will debate it. The Minister while refuting the opposition charges said that the coalition is committed to CMP.
While pointing towards the opposition, he said it is a shame that people are craving for water and they are disrupting the proceedings.
But the opposition continued shouting `Coalition Government Hai Hai’. At this time, the Speaker advised the senior NC members to maintain decorum in the House.
Meantime, Speaker asked Engineer Rashid to speak on grants and he did not spare NC saying the party was also responsible for taking over of power projects by Centre.
The other members of coalition who spoke on the grants after Khaleel Bhand include Ravinder Raina, Dilip Parihar, Noor Mohammed, Shakti Parihar, Engineer Rashid, Mohammed Yousf, Farooq Andrabi, Abdul Rahim Rather, Jeevan Lal and B A Dar. The two Ministers also replied and the House passed the grants. But nothing was audible in the din. Some of the opposition members twice tried to enter into the Well of the House and they were marshaled out on both the occasions. First time Opposition MLAs Gulzar Ahmed, Altaf Wani, Vikar Rasool, Mumtaz Khan, Asgar Ali Karbalai and Ashfaq Jabar were marshaled out wheWell when MLA Shopian was speaking on grants.
However, after Rana said that these legislators were elected by the people and they are voice of the people, they were called back by the Speaker.
Soon after these members entered the House, the drama continued and they again went near the Well shouting slogans. Haj, Auqaf and Horticulture Minster Abdul Rehman Veeri stood up asking the Opposition MLAs to take their seats had no impact on them and they continued shouting slogans. At one time BJP MLA, Sat Sharma (CA) taking serious exception to opposition allegations also came to second row to argue with them. He was also supported by all coalition MLAs who too stood from their seats. The tempers ran very high. However, Sharma was pacified by Veeri and Parliamentary Affairs and Law Minister, Basharat Bukhari who asked him to go to his seat.
Meantime, NC MLA Kamal Arora came to House and joined the protest near the Well and began shouting slogans with other Opposition MLAs. Though the Minister of PHE, Irrigation and FC Choudhary Sukhnandan was replying the motion on grants of his Ministry, the opposition continued sloganeering and beat the benches so that nothing can be audible. As the drama continued for about two hours some of the Opposition members including Gulzar Ahmed, Aga Ruhullah and Amin Bhat sat on the seats at front row for sometime while others continued protest and beat benches to disrupt speech of Sukhnandan.
Vikar Rasool, Choudhary Akram, Mumtaz Khan, Kamal Arora tried to troop in the Well and they were again marshaled out. Javed Rana also stood on bench shouting slogans while another Opposition MLA Asgar Ali Karbalai also shouted that coalition has deceived the people of the State and Javed Rana shouted that this Government should drown in water.
In the melee, the House passed grants of R&B, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Ministers and the Speaker adjourned the House for the day.
Later talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Omar Abdullah hit out at the Mufti Government over the issue of its Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and alleged that the BJP-PDP alliance in the State was based on “lies” to “deceive” people.
“It is simple that the CMP is a bundle of lies and it is impossible to have faith in this Government”, Omar claimed.
“The truth is that this alliance is based on lies. They have made their relationships and cobbled up the Government on the basis of lies and deceit…Their ultimate aim was to come to power and they are ready to do anything for that power”.
“They have bargain on all the issues and now the truth is coming before the people”, he alleged.
“They (PDP and BJP) are trying to hide their doings but the truth is that they have deceived the people. They have given the people an assurance in the Governor’s address and also in CMP, but all of their issues in CMP are falling one by one”, Omar said.
He further took a dig and said “take for example the issue of AFSPA, that has been rejected (by them)– power projects have been rejected — release of political prisoners have been rejected — delimitation commission has been rejected”.
Similarly, the over Rs 40,000 cr flood relief package has not been accepted by the Centre and the Finance Minister here have himself distanced from it, Omar claimed.
“When one after another their CMP issues are getting rejected in just one-month period, what can the people expect from these people”, Omar said while taking a dig at the Mufti Government.
Questioning the long delay in cobbling up the Alliance for Coalition Government (CMP), Omar said, “Why they took three months to formulate CMP and if CMP has been formed, it is on some basis they have formed it.”
While referring to the reply of the question by Centre to a Member in Parliament that power projects cannot be transferred to J&K in view of legal and financial difficulties, Omar said “this is today’s question– I have been in the Parliament for 11 years — I know you can withdraw the question and replies to the questions have recently been made”.
He said “the replies to the questions in Parliament have not been written one and half months ago — the answer would have been, made when they were undertaking negotiations on CMP — if they had to formulate only modalities then the reply would have been as such”.
“Then, the answer should have been yes it is under discussion and modalities are being worked out– it should have been that answer but the reply came that it cannot be done on the basis of financial and legal difficulties”, he said.
“Through Governor’s address and CMP, the Government gave assurance to the people that NHPC power projects would be transferred back to J&K from the Centre and now only modalities are being worked out that means the decision had already been taken it was how the action would be taken on the decision that was only thing to decided”, Omar said.
The former Chief Minister said, “Today, we came to know through a local daily that Tariq Hamid Qarra (PDP MP) had submitted a question to the Parliament and in reply to that question he was told that power projects cannot be transferred back to J&K because there are legal and financial difficulties in it …. They are very high”.
On the issue of the future course of action in the House, Omar further said “What would be our future course of action — it is our endeavour to raise such issues of public importance”.
Speaking to reporters, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh accused the previous NC and Congress Government of giving away the power projects to the centre as he said that the PDP-BJP Government has taken up the issue with the Union Power Minister.
“National Conference and Congress Government had given these projects long ago, since our Government came we have talked to the Central Government on the issue (transfer of power projects), it will happen only after discussions are held with all the stake holders,” Singh said.
He said that project was not run by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, “They use our water and our land, but NHPC made these projects run them. The project is made by a Corporation and is not own by the Government, we have to see what extent we can go on this,” he said.
While terming the ruckus created by the opposition members as “uncalled for”, he said that they could have listened to the reply of the government on the issue. “This type of behaviour was uncalled for, they could have listened to us, now the people will judge them for this,” he said.
He said that during his recent visit to New Delhi he has taken up the issue with the Union Power Minister. “When I went Delhi last time I met the union Power Minister and the Finance Minister, they told me that every aspect was being explored as NHPC was a Corporation and not a Government owned body. While the newspaper says that the demand has been completely rejected which is not true,” he said.
Countering the Opposition’s attack on the issue of transfer of power projects to the State, PDP today said modalities were being worked out between the J&K Government and Centre to get them back even as it accused the previous regime of failing to do anything in this regard.
“Now, we are engaged in negotiations (with the Centre) and we are hopeful that progress will start in the direction to get the power projects back,” PDP’s chief spokesman and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar told reporters outside the Assembly.
“We will never sell the interest of the State — whatever we say in Common Minimum Programme (CMP) we will do vigorously and will ensure that this happens,” Akhtar said.
“The controversy that has been triggered following a report published in a newspaper that Centre will not return back power projects to the State, has been a standard position of Government of India for last so many years,” he said.
“…The truth is that Omar Abdullah and his Government had done nothing to get these projects back from NHPC. They are now expecting us to get the projects back and we will do it. When we held discussion on the CMP, we debated for strengthening of economy of the State, for which transfer of power projects is a must,” he said.
Akhtar also claimed that the question, which the opposition was referring to, “must have been submitted to the Parliament three months ago.”
“At that point of time, there was neither CMP nor coalition Government in the State,” he said.
Akhtar further said, “It was standard position of GoI at that point of time. Now, we are engaged in negotiations and we are hopeful that there will be progress in this. These projects are neither in our pocket nor Modi ji’s pocket that we can bring them out and hand them over to other,” he said.
“It is a process of negotiations and process of transfer and we have six years to materialize it,” he said.
Hitting out at NC and Congress, he said, “They do not have either any political programme nor credibility to perform role of an effective opposition.”
Asserting that the Centre has “categorically refused” the return of NHPC power projects to Jammu and Kashmir, Congress today accused the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led government of “misleading” the state Assembly and the people over the matter.
“In reply to a question in Parliament, the Union Power Minister has told that it would be neither feasible nor possible legally and financially to return the projects. Therefore, the State Government has mislead the House and the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Congress Legislature Party Leader, Nawang Rigzin Jora today told reporters outside the Assembly.
“It is the first major jolt to the PDP-BJP Government that the Power Minister has categorically refused return of NHPC projects to the State,” he said.
He reminded the PDP-BJP alliance that in the Governor’s address, the Government had spoken about the modalities to be worked out for transfer of Dulhasti and Uri-2 to the state.
“This meant that the in-principle decision had already been taken. Now with Power Minister Piyush Goyal’s statement in the Parliament categorically ruling out transfer of these projects, the Coalition Government’s lies have been exposed before the people,” Jora said.
Terming the ‘Common Minimum Programme’ of the coalition Government “a bundle of lies”, he said the Congress party will expose those lies both within and outside the House.
“The only Common Minimum Programme of this Government is to stay in power by hook or crook,” Jora said.
He accused the BJP of giving up on core agenda of abrogation of Article 370, citizenship rights to the West Pakistan Refugees, Delimitation Commission or the rights of 1947, 1965 and 1971 PoK refugees as well as promise of three seats for Kashmiri Pandits and five for PoK refugees.
He alleged that despite having 28 seats (BJP 25 plus three allies), BJP insisted neither on rotational Chief Ministership nor equal Cabinet berths.
“They have decided to play second fiddle to PDP after having fooled the people of Jammu and garnering their votes in the name of Jammu empowerment,” Jora said.
“PDP is much worse. After exploiting the fear factor of Modi among the Kashmiri masses, Mufti Sayeed ended up piggybacking the BJP into the Government and seat of power,” he added.
Jora alleged that Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed cannot “escape the blame of giving entry to Hindutva forces” into Kashmir valley.
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