J&K Assembly: BJP MLAs stage walkout to protest statehood restoration resolution
Srinagar, Sep 29 (IANS) BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday against the statehood resolution passed by the House a day ago.
The BJP legislators walked out of the Legislative Assembly to protest against the Speaker’s decision to allow discussion on the statehood resolution.
The party accused the Speaker of allowing the statehood resolution despite its objections to references to the 2000 autonomy resolution and the 2024 special status resolution.
The walkout came after Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma again raised the issue in the House and sought the Speaker’s removal.
The statehood resolution, moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, was passed on Monday amid protests by BJP members.
The BJP had on Monday told the Speaker that they had moved a notice seeking the removal of Abdul Rahim Rather as Speaker, and because of this, he should vacate the chair.
Abdull Rather, instead, told the BJP that he had not read the notice, and as per the procedure of the House, the motion to remove him would be listed after 14 days.
The BJP legislators later entered the well of the House and held a mock proceeding. Despite the din in the House, CM Omar Abdullah made a speech in favour of the resolution, which was later passed by the House.
In another twist, while delivering his speech in favour of the statehood resolution on Monday, CM Abdullah told the Assembly that, despite being the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, he had learnt that the law secretary had written a letter to the Assembly Speaker giving his opinion against the resolution.
CM Abdullah said the chief secretary had also written to the Speaker without the knowledge of the Chief Minister.
“This could only happen because we are a union territory,” the CM said.
After passing the statehood restoration resolution, the Legislative Assembly secretariat has sent it to the chief secretary ostensibly to be moved to the Central government.
–IANS
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