Jammu and Kashmir : House chaos has minister in tears

PICTURE GALLERY : J&K Assembly: A day of drama

“I am sorry. I thought that you should have a feel of participation in a democratic process when demand for grants to the Education sector came up in the House, but I never imagined you will be carrying back with you such a wrong impression,” an emotional Akhtar told the students outside the House. “Such unruly scenes, such rowdy behaviour…,” the minister said, and started to weep.

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The students — from the state government-run Girls Higher Secondary School at Mubarak Mandi, and the Ranbir Higher Secondary School at Parade Ground — attempted to console him.

“Sir, please don’t cry… you should not feel sorry,” they told Akhtar. A girl who identified herself as Shreya, a Class 11 student, said, “Our classroom is better than this House… We maintain discipline while making a point before the teacher.”

Members from the opposition National Conference and Congress stormed the Well, banged the table and tore up copies of annual audit reports on Revenue, PSUs, Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts for the 2013-14, protesting alleged “lies” told by the government in the House. The proceedings were adjourned twice, after which the Speaker called in marshals to escort nearly half a dozen legislators out.

Soon after the House assembled, former CM Omar Abdullah drew the Speaker’s attention towards a report published in a local daily about the central government’s alleged refusal to transfer the NHPC-owned hydel power projects to the state in view of financial and legal difficulties.

“Why did you (the government) lie in the House that power projects will be transferred to the state? Why did you make the Governor tell the same lie in his address to the joint sitting of both Houses?” Omar demanded to know.

He was joined by the entire opposition, including the Congress, CPI(M) and Independents, who raised slogans of “Dhokhebaazi nahin chalegi”. Omar and other senior lawmakers kept to their seats, but several others entered the Well, shouting slogans.

Repeated appeals for calm by Speaker Kavinder Gupta were ignored, as were interventions by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and Minister for Horticulture, Haj and Auqaf A R Veeri.

“You want us to do in 15 days something that your governments, both at the Centre and in the state, could not do in six years,” Nirmal Singh said, referring to the Manmohan Singh and Omar Abdullah governments.

Outside the House, Nayeem Akhtar said, “It was shameful. They did this shameful drama in the presence of these guests whom we had specially invited today… Omar Abdullah, who is supposed to be a youth icon, was leading the rowdy MLAs, and (Congress leader) Nawang Rigzin Jora, who is supposed to have attended St Stephen’s College, took part in the unruly scenes… What impression have they (schoolchildren) got about elected representatives?”

Omar, however, insisted the government had been lying to the House and the people on a variety of issues. “We were told that power projects were coming to the state from the Centre, but now we are told that these involve legal and financial implications,” he said.

“Our government had sought a relief and rehabilitation package of Rs 44,000 crore after the floods. The central government has not accepted it, and the state government has disowned it… They (Mufti government) have sold out on every issue concerning the state and its people. As the opposition, it is our responsibility to raise these issues,” Omar said outside the House.

NC MLA Devender Rana rejected the Education Minister’s tears. “Let him cry,” he said. “At least the students will know what fraud is being perpetuated on the people of Jammu & Kashmir by this (PDP-BJP) alliance,” Rana said.