Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 13: The principle Opposition party in the Assembly, the PDP today announced boycott of rest of budget session in the Legislative Assembly in protest against Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s statement refusing to return mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru.
Making a brief statement in the Assembly during Question Hour after protests by his party MLAs for second consecutive day on Mr Shinde’s statement, Ms Mufti described the Home Minister as “arrogant” and charged him with executing Guru to counter the uproar on ‘saffron terror’ remark made by him.
Mehbooba strongly took on the Home Minister, who belonged to the Congress, which was heading UPA Government at the Centre, saying they have closed the doors of reconciliation with the people of Kashmir after the execution of Guru followed by refusal to return his body.
After the brief emotional speech, Mehbooba announced the PDP’s decision to boycott rest of budget session of the Assembly and led her party members out of the House.
Earlier, as soon as the House assembled this morning after yesterday’s free-for-all situation in both the sittings in which grants of Finance and Forest Departments were passed without any debate and reply by the concerned Ministers, the PDP members were again on their feet raising the issue of return of Guru’s body and denouncing Mr Shinde’s statement of Monday that mortal remains of Guru wouldn’t be handed over to his family.
Speaker Mubarak Gul intervening them said that they can raise the issue in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, which was scheduled to meet at 12.30 pm today
“You had raised the issue — there was a debate on it (yesterday), the Government gave statement on it– what is your issue now”? the Speaker asked but the PDP MLAs were unrelenting and remained on their feet.
Independent MLA Engineer Rashid also stood up from his seat and started shouting seeking return of mortal remains of Guru.
PDP MLA Rafi Ahmad Mir said the situation has deteriorated in the Kashmir Valley.
“Sanctity of the House, Chief Minister (Omar Abdullah) and the Opposition has been lowered. We have been insulted (by the Home Minister) with his blatant refusal to hand over the body. The House should built up pressure on the Union Government for return of the body”, he added.
Mr Mir said: “it is unfortunate– we have raised the point of return of the body to the family but it has been turned down by the Home Minister of India– this House has been insulted– Chief Minister has been insulted– Opposition has been insulted– nothing has been done to return the body”.
BJP member Jugal Kishore Sharma and Jammu State Morcha MLA Ashwani Sharma amid sloganeering and uproarious scenes said that PDP was only raising the issue of Guru and Assembly has been kept hostage on this issue but there was no mention of a three-wheeler operator (Riyaz Ahmad Khanday), who was killed in by the stone pelters in the Kashmir Valley.
It triggered verbal duels between BJP and PDP legislators.
Amid continued uproar, PDP MLA and former Minister Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari asked the House to pass a resolution over the return of Guru’s body to the family, a demand the major Opposition party had been taking up since yesterday in the House but the Government had rejected it.
Mr Gul again turned down the demand saying the State Government has already taken up the issue with the Centre and the process is going on. “Whatever information we receive will be shared with the House and the people of J&K”, he added.
Mr Gul said it was a sensitive issue and the Government has taken it up at the highest level. “Please don’t disrupt the House. We will talk in the BAC meeting”, he added and warned the MLAs against breaking mikes, which they had done yesterday saying he would take serious note of it.
“The sense of the House was conveyed to the Centre during debate and reply on adjournment motion on return of Guru’s body. But what happened? The Home Minister only gave the reply and rejected the demand outrightly for return of Guru’s body”, the PDP members, who were protesting from the front rows, said.
After about 10 minutes of protests, the Speaker tried to go ahead with Question Hour and asked Peer Afaq Ahmed of NC to raise his question as first query had been listed on his name. He raised the question and Works Minister Abdul Mujeed Wani replied to it but voiced of both were virtually lost in the din as PDP MLAs besides Independent member continued to protest.
The Speaker again tried to pacify the PDP MLAs on their repeated demand for passing a resolution in the Assembly seeking return of Guru’s body saying they shouldn’t press the Government for hasty decision.
“Tomorrow you would ask what happened to the Assembly resolution. Where are the results? Sense of the House was already with the Government, which was on the job. Allow normal work in the House to resume,” Mr Gul said making a fervent appeal to the Opposition to facilitate Question Hour.
After about 12 minutes of protests, the Speaker allowed PDP Legislature Party leader Mehbooba Mufti to speak.
Ms Mufti took on Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde describing him as “arrogant” and charging him with executing Guru to lower the impact of his ‘saffron terror’ mark and prove that he was not against the Hindus.
“First he (Mr Shinde) made the ‘saffron terror’ remark. To counter the pressure, he ordered execution of Guru. Then he named the rape victims and lastly, he rejected the demand for return of Guru’s mortal remains”, she said, adding “this has lowered sanctity of the House, which had been raising demand for return of Guru’s body.”
“They did the worst (by executing Guru). Now they can at least return his body to the family”, Mehbooba said.
Asserting that Mahatma Gandhi’s nation had brazenly ignored just and genuine demand of the people for return of Guru’s body, Ms Mufti charged the Home Minister with close reconciliation window with the people of Kashmir with his statement.
“Sense of the House and people demanded return of Guru’s body so that the religious obligations are performed by the family”, she said.
She added that the Home Minister was trying to bring people of Kashmir on their knees. “It is shame for the people and this House that Home Minister in sheer arrogance says that he will not give the body”, she said, adding “it will not be allowed”.
Congress MLA from Bhaderwah and former Minister Mohammad Sharief Niaz tried to counter the serious charges leveled against the Union Home Minister but was shouted down by the PDP members. Congress MLAs-Indu Pawar, Ashok Kumar and Krishen Chander Bhagat also backed Mr Niaz, who repeatedly tried to speak through a point of order but was unable to do so as the PDP MLAs continued to shout.
“It (the Home Minister’s statement) is regrettable for all of us. This is the height of arrogance by a Home Minister, who says that he won’t give the body but offered the family to have prayers only. We are elected representatives. We have taken oath of the Constitution. They have no respect for this House and the people of Kashmir”, Mehbooba said.
Quoting the Home Minister as having said that situation would deteriorate in Kashmir if the body of Guru was given to his family, the PDP leader wanted to know whether the Minister didn’t know this before the execution.
“Guru was picked up from Serial No. 28 and executed like a sheep”, she said.
Turning towards the State Government, Mehbooba said the Government has brought the people of Kashmir on their knees, which was shameful.
Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry Nazir Gurez shouted toward Ms Mufti charging her with being responsible for all troubles in the Kashmir Valley.
Mr Mufti then announced her party’s decision to boycott Assembly for rest of the budget session to protest the Home Minister’s statement, which, she said, has lowered sanctity of the House.
Mehbooba led her party MLAs out of the House at 10.23 am.
While walking out, PDP MLAs and former Ministers Abdul Rehman Veeri and Javed Mustafa Mir shouted slogans near Well of the House saying the Home Minister has destroyed sanctity of the House.
PDF MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin also staged a walkout on the issue saying the State Government should have taken a firm stand on the return of mortal remains of Guru and passed a resolution to this effect in the Assembly.
Mr Niaz said if the Opposition has any grievances they can go to the Supreme Court.
Mr Gurezi charged the PDP with befooling the people of Kashmir.
After the PDP’s walk-out and boycott of the session, it was the turn of Engineer Rashid to shout slogans near Well of the House. NPP, BJP and JSM MLAs shouted at Mr Rashid for disrupting proceedings of the House.
“What would happen if he is removed from the House. None has been noticing him. Why you are focusing your attention towards Mr Rashid?” the Speaker said.
Though the Engineer took his seat for some time on the request of Mr Gul, he was again on his feet.
This prompted Congress leader and Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma to intervene. He wanted to know under which rules and procedures the House was being run. He wanted to make a statement but the Speaker told him to speak after the Question Hour.
“One person (Engineer Rashid) has been keeping the entire House as hostile. Why this liberty has been given to him”? Mr Sharma asked.
The Speaker clarified that even yesterday he hadn’t removed Engineer Rashid from the House on anyone’s direction. “I feared that Housing Minister Raman Bhalla could be manhandled as Mr Rashid was close to him carrying mike. I had ordered Rashid’s removal to ensure that no one was injured”, he said.
However, the Speaker warned Rashid to take his seat asking him as to why he was repeatedly raising the issue of Guru. “Elections are not won like this”, Mr Gul remarked.
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Mehbooba Mufti described the statement of Mr Shinde on refusal to return the body of Guru as “unfortunate and derogatory”. She said return of mortal remains of Guru would have cooled tempers in the Kashmir Valley leading to return of normalcy.
“By refusing to return the body, the Centre has not only “insulted” the feeling of the House but has also shown dis-respect to the people of Kashmir. They have closed all options of reconciliation with the Kashmiris”, she said, adding that situation was deteriorating in the Valley day by day with imposition of curfew and restrictions by the State Government.
Mehbooba said: “by negating the demand of the Assembly and people of Kashmir for returning mortal remains of Guru, the Centre has given rude shock to the people. The worst part was already done with his (Guru’s) secret execution”.
Alleging that Mr Shinde wanted to score ‘political points’ with the BJP, she said Guru was picked up from Serial No. 28 much behind the killers of Rajiv Gandhi and hanged.
Asserting that National Conference was part and parcel of Congress Government at the Centre, Mehbooba regretted that the Centre even paid no heed to elected representatives of the people.
Later, speaking in the House, Engineer Rashid regretted that the PDP has left him alone in the House.
“I appeal the PDP to come back and continue the fight here (for return of Guru’s mortal remains). There are many people fighting outside….taking to streets”, he said. He advised the Jammu MLAs not to make it an issue of Jammu versus Kashmir.
“You doubt every Kashmiri. If mall separatists are Pakistanis, don’t listen them but at least listen to the Chief Minister and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who have also sought return of Guru’s remains. The Home Minister has taken us for granted. Such agenda would set Kashmir on fire”, Mr Rashid said as he again trooped into the Well of the House.
The Speaker warned Mr Rashid that he would suspend him for rest of the session. “This is my second warning. What are you doing? Don’t point fingers at the Chief Minister”, Mr Gul told Rashid.
Jammu Opposition MLAs marched toward the front row countering Engineer Rashid.
At this stage, The Speaker ordered the marshals to remove Mr Rashid from the House.
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