Mir Farhat
SRINAGAR, Aug 27: The Upper House today witnessed pandemonium over the resolution on urging the Central Government to resume dialogue with Pakistan, with both the Opposition and some ruling members raising objections for not listing the Calling Attention motion on border firing of ruling National Conference (NC) MLC Shehnaz Ganai in the discussion.
Sensing ruckus over the issue, Chairman Amrit Malhotra adjourned the House for the day.
Soon after the House met for the Question Hour to discuss the resolution, the principal Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members, National Panthers Party (NPP) member and some ruling members raised their objection for not listing the calling attention notice of Ganai and also for tabling the resolution through Private Member and not through the House.
The Private Member’s resolution was tabled by ruling National Conference MLC Devender Rana urging the Union Government to resume dialogue with Pakistan to ensure peace and stability in the sub continent and in Jammu and Kashmir in particular.
Ganai had moved a notice on Tuesday in the Legislative Council and called upon the attention of Government towards the situation that has arisen due to difficulties being faced by the villagers situated near LoC in district Poonch due to cross firing and fencing of fields belonging to farmers.
Ganai raised a point of order over non-listing of her notice. Opposition members of PDP Naeem Akhtar, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Syed Asgar Ali, Yashpal Sharma, NPP’s Rafiq Shah, Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga, Jugal Kishore Sharma and Jahangir Hussain Mir supported her.
PDP members also raised their objection on inclusion of the name of the NC MLC and not of the House.
All the members of the Council had on Tuesday unanimously showed their concern and the Chairman had agreed to have a discussion on the calling attention notice of Ganai.
“It is shameful that politics is being played over this serious issue. I feel ashamed that a member of your stature can do politics on the issue in which human being are suffering,” shouted Rana towards PDP’s Naeem Akhtar.
Akhtar in return raised his pitch and said the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) report was not presented in the House on Tuesday. “You are presenting it today without consulting us. Have you held the House also during night in our absence,” he told the Chair.
“We don’t understand what is happening in the House. First, it was decided on Tuesday that a discussion would be held on the ceasefire violations and now a discussion will be held on a resolution,” said Akhter, adding, “This is violation of the Legislative Council for political gains at the insistence of a particular person,” he said pointing towards Rana.
Soon after Akhtar more members rose on their feet and joined the PDP legislator. All the members then wanted that both the resolution and the calling attention be clubbed for a discussion. This created a din in the House.
NC MLC, Ghulam Qadir Pardesi said the matter is being linked with a resolution moved by another member regarding the resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue.”It is the people of Jammu and Kashmir who are dying in the crossfire and shelling, not Amit Shah’s people,” he said.
Syed Asgar Ali of PDP said the Calling Attention Motion of Ganai was “bypassed”. “It is very sad. Calling Attention Motion of Shahnaz Ganai was about ceasefire violations where as Rana’s resolution is about Indo-Pak talks,” he said.
The members who were supporting Ganai and including her threatened to stage walkout from the House. But they did not and continued to raise their point.
The Chairman told the protesting members that the issue shall be taken for a discussion along with the resolution moved by NC MLC Devender Singh Rana.
Monga, Congress member in the Legislative Council, accused the BJP at the Centre for “playing politics over ceasefire violations keeping in view the upcoming Assembly elections in the State”.
Other members including Vijay Bakaya, Ghulam Qadir Pardesi and Shiekh Ghulam Rasool also joined the chorus.
Bakaya said that Business Advisory Committee not putting any resolution in the House for its approval raises suspicion. “You can’t ignore the sense of the House,” he told the Chair.
But NC’s Najeeb Suharwardy accused the PDP and NPP members for politicizing the debate. “Those who are making noise today were present in the meeting yesterday (Tuesday),” he said.
Jugal Kishore Sharma of Congress said to the Chairman: “You have not maintained the sanctity of the House. You have ignored the Calling attention notice and allowed only resolution.”
Amid the din, Rana shouted toward the Opposition members that they were protesting only to “get their names and photos in the press and newspapers tomorrow”, and staged walkout from the House.
Sensing that the ruckus was not going to end, the Deputy Chairman, Javed Rana, adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
However, after the House met again the Chairman Malhotra said the discussion over the Calling Attention Motion and the resolution would be taken up tomorrow and adjourned the House for the day.
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