Bringing disrepute to the sanctity of the House, couple of ‘unbridled’ Bhartiya Janata Party law makers manhandled independent law maker Engineer Rashid in full public and legislators view in State Assembly on Thursday.As the Assembly proceedings were about to start, some BJP members apparently waiting for the arrival of Rashid instead of taking their seats preferred to wait near the one of the entry points of the House. As Rashid entered into the House, BJP law makers Ravinder Raina, Rajeev Sharma and others pounced upon him. Not knowing what is happening Rashid tried to save himself while the National Conference, Congress and some independent members including Hakim Yasin came to his rescue and pushed back the assailant BJP members. Hakim Yasin slapped a BJP member while defending Rashid.During the melee, another BJP member Gagan Bhagat ran towards Rashid and tried to hit him, but keeping his nerve, Rashid retaliated and attacked Baghat forcefully.
All the NC, Congress and other members including Hakim Yasin and Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami supported Rashid and denounced the ‘hooliganism’ of BJP members. Furious Omar Abdullah alleged that Rashid would have been killed, if NC and other members would have not been present in the House.“You murder people in broad day light. You proved that it were you people who killed a Muslim in Dadri. When we respect your sentiments, you should respect our’s. Do you think we have no sentiments,” Opposition leader Omar Abdullah told BJP members on the floor of the House.“Eating pork or taking wine is prohibited in our religion. Did I stop you from taking pork and wine,” Omar told BJP members. “You had come here to kill Engineer Rashid. We come here to discuss not to kill people,” Omar said.
Speaker Kavinder Gupta interrupted Omar by asking that House is not discussing on any issue. Though Law Minister Basharat Bukhari requested Speaker to allow Omar Abdullah to speak, but Omar on contrary sought explanation from Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed. Mufti while expressing regret over the incident said that there is no place of physical violence in the House. He asked Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh to apologize to House on part of his party.Nirmal Singh did not apologize but termed the incident unfortunate. Irritated NC and Congress members waled out from the House after which the Deputy Chief Minister apologized to the opposition members.During the proceedings National Conference member Sheikh Jabbar accused BJP members of killers of Muslims while other opposition members alleged that BJP is a slur on the name of democracy.
After the apology from Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal over manhandling incident, the Opposition party National Conference members returned back to House.Ironically the anti-beef ban bill that was due for discussion was grounded as the speaker adjourned the House without even taking up the bill for discussion in the lower house of Jammu and Kashmir assembly.In what was seen as a move to sabotage the bill, the law and parliamentary affairs minister Basharat Bukhari said that the house can run up to only 1:30 pm as per business advisory committee.However, Omar Abdullah contradicted him by saying that the house can run up to midnight. “We don’t need to take lunch but discuss the bill,” said Omar.“When we can sit in assembly up to 9 pm in Jammu why we can’t sit here and discuss the bill,” he asked.However, Bukhari and Abdul Haq Khan opposed the extension of time. (CNS)