Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 15: Peoples Conference president and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone today launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing him and the ruling National Conference (NC) of “engineering disruptions” in the Assembly to block the passage of a resolution on the Waqf Amendment Act.
His remarks followed the Chief Minister’s admission that NC legislators had committed a procedural error by moving an adjournment motion during the Assembly proceedings.
Lone said he had pointed out the same procedural lapse on April 7 and was met with hostility from NC members.
He referred to his tweet from that day, noting that while he had flagged the issue early on, he was dismissed and targeted with political slurs by the ruling party.
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According to Lone, an adjournment motion is essentially a censure against the Government and cannot be applied to a legislative matter like the Waqf Amendment Act.
He described the move as a case of criminal negligence in the only Muslim-majority Assembly in the country and questioned the intent behind the sustained disruption.
He alleged that a group of 50 legislators was deliberately mobilized to shout down proceedings for three days, stalling any meaningful business in the House.
He questioned whether the most experienced party in J&K, which includes several senior legislators and lawyers, genuinely failed to understand the procedural misstep.
Lone argued that if he, in just his second term, was able to recognize the error immediately, it was implausible that veteran NC lawmakers did not.
He likened the chaos in the House to a coordinated performance, with legislators climbing desks and shouting like schoolchildren, and asked whether the party was being led by people incapable of understanding basic Assembly procedures.
He also questioned the role of the Chief Minister and the Speaker, wondering how the lapse went unnoticed by the leadership for three consecutive days.
According to Lone, this collective oversight pointed either to incompetence or deliberate intent.
He further alleged that the episode was orchestrated by the Government to prevent the passage of a resolution on the Waqf Bill, terming it a political ploy aimed at avoiding Assembly-level condemnation.
He accused the NC leadership of suppressing opposition voices by instructing its members to drown out any dissent through coordinated shouting.
Lone also criticised Omar’s absence from the Assembly floor during the crucial days of disruption, claiming the CM had instead been spending time at the Tulip Garden.
Clarifying the correct procedure, Lone stated that it was the Government’s responsibility to move a resolution through a cabinet member, with the consent of the leader of the House.
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