Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 20: People’s Democratic Party demanded apology from Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah for his recent statement in which he had said that the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs took all dues available to the legislators for attending the business despite boycotting the session.
While addressing a press conference senior PDP leader, Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, said none of the PDP MLA took dues for not attending the business. Ansari said that Omar Abdullah has exposed the scandal of his own party members by disclosing that dues available to the legislators for attending the business were taken away them.
Ansari said bills are not drawn by the MLA’s or MLC’s themselves. “These are processed by the Assembly/Council Secretariats that functions under the direct supervision of the presiding officers of the respective houses. By making these accusations Omar Abdullah has put the integrity of Chairman Legislative Council and the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly at stake and has undermined the respect and authority of both houses. He has caused a serious breach of privilege of the members of PDP legislature party by publically spreading canards and falsehood against them”, said Ansari.
Ansari said, “by making this statement the Chief Minister has once again not only questioned the credibility of the members of PDP legislature party but has assaulted the very institution of the legislature.”
“There is no question of any member having sought to draw allowances for the days they boycotted the assembly or council and it is purely a figment of Chief Minister’s imagination who having abandoned governance has all the time in the world available to accuse others for his own failures. This is a very ridiculous attempt to malign his political opponents,” Ansari said.
The party demanded the minimum that the Chief Minister in his capacity as leader of the house is expected to do is to offer an unconditional apology for the blatantly false accusations he has made against the members of PDP legislature party which alone can atone for his serious violation of parliamentary practices.
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