Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 14: The Opposition PDP and NPP members were today marshaled out of the Upper House amidst slogans and verbal spat with the ruling coalition members after they lodged strong protest against the killing of a youth in firing at Srinagar yesterday and disrupted proceedings in the House for about 12 minutes.
The issue was forcefully raised by the PDP members including Mohd Ashraf Mir, Sayed Asgar Ali and Nizam-ud-Din Khatana besides lone NPP member, Sayed Rafiq Shah soon after the Chairman occupied his seat and announced to start today’s business in the morning. Another PDP member Murtaza Ahmed Khan was not present in the House then. All the four stood up and raised the issue of firing in Srinagar in which a civilian was killed soon after Fidayeen attack. They alleged that yet another innocent Kashmiri has been killed in firing and process of killings has not yet awaited. The Government has failed to protect the civilians and also contain such incidents. They pressed for adjournment of the House on the issue and bring discussion in the House on the subject.
The Congress member Jehangir Mir, Jugal Kishore Sharma and Ravinder Sharma stood up and said five security personnel were also killed in the attack there. You don’t have the courtesy to condemn the killings of CRPF jawans? They said PDP did not consider them human beings. Were they not sons or brothers of any body? This led to some verbal spat between them. National Conference member Dr Bashir Ahmed Veeri, siding with the Opposition members, also stood up and stressed for allowing discussion in the House on the issue. He said that issue was of serious nature and it has drawn attention of the entire House.
Chairman, Legislative Council Amrit Malhotra asked the Opposition members to take their seats and maintained that for bringing an adjournment motion, there were set rules and they should go by the rules. He asked the members to keep calm and allow conduct of important business of the Question Hour. The PDP and NPP members did not buzz at all and kept raising issue. NPP member Rafiq Shah went to the well of the House and started his protest by raising slogans,“Na Insafi …Hai Hai……”. The PDP members also moved closer to the well and started their protest. Chairman repeatedly asked them to take their seats but they remained unconcerned over the warnings of the ‘Chair’. Mohd Ashraf Mir got involved in the direct spat with the Chairman, who issued repeated warnings not to disrupt proceedings and allow smooth conduct of the House.
Mr Mir said, “our people were being killed in Kashmir and you are not allowing us to discuss this issue in the House. This is great injustice to us and those people whose family members are being killed. It will not be tolerated.’’
The Chairman again advised, “Go by the rules and give in writing for the adjournment motion and he will look into their plea. But as the members insisted for the discussion and continued their protest, the Chairman ordered that all the four be marshaled out. Then Ashraf Mir, Sayed Rafiq Shah, Asgar Ali and Nizam-ud-Din Khatana were marshaled out at around 11.12 am. The NC member Dr Veeri again stood up and demanded that issue was of serious nature. It was related to the security and safety of the civilians and a judicial inquiry be ordered into this incident. Another NC member Devender Singh Rana while supporting the demand stood up and pleaded the Chairman that there was no harm in discussing the issue as it pertains to innocent killing and that deceased happened to be an NC activist. Ajat Shatru Singh (NC), Jehangir Mir and Jugal Kishore from Congress said that five security men were also killed in the attack and why not a discussion on them also. A marshaled out PDP member, Agar Ali then again trooped into the House and asked the Chairman why now discussion is being allowed on the plea of Devender Singh Rana in the House. The Chairman however, said that he has received adjournment motion in written from PDP now and will consider it at the appropriate occasion. The proceedings remained disrupted in the House for more than twelve minutes and then the normal business commenced at around 11.13 am after the order was restored by the Chairman.
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