All BJP legislators walked out from the J&K Assembly on Wednesday after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather expunged the “derogatory remarks” on the 13 July “martyrs” made by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma.
The House witnessed noisy scenes over the remarks made by Sharma, also a BJP leader.
BJP MLAs later staged a walkout after the Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather expunged his remarks.
During the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s address, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, demanded restoration of the 13 July Martyrs Day holiday.
As Para concluded his speech, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma stood up and objected to his demand.
“They were not martyrs but ……,” Sharma said, evoking widespread protests from the Treasury benches as well as from Kashmir-based opposition parties. The leaders demanded that the remarks be expunged from the records of the House.
“These remarks were humiliating and divisive and should be withdrawn or expunged from the records,” demanded MLA Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat.
Amid continuous sloganeering between the treasury benches and BJP, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather announced that the remarks had been expunged from the records of the House.
All BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the House in protest against the expunging of Sharma’s remarks.
Later, Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Gani Lone demanded that the House pass a resolution for the restoration of holidays on Martyrs Day and on the birthday of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
Cutting across party lines, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly members expressed grave concern over the rising drug addiction in the region, prompting Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to order a discussion to seek suggestions from the House on anti-drug measures.
Several MLAs questioned the effectiveness of existing mechanisms to combat the drug menace. They called for the establishment of an expert panel and a House committee to examine the issue in depth.
Minister for Health Sakina Itoo said: “There has been an alarming increase in drug addiction among the youth of J&K. However, after the launch of ‘Nasha Mukt Abhiyan’, records indicate a slight decline in new registrations.”
The Health Minister said in the House while responding to a question by National Conference (NC) MLA Mubarak Gul during the Question Hour.
She informed the House that 25,402 drug addicts have been receiving treatment at various centers in Jammu and Kashmir over the past three years.
Targeting the BJP, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami (CPI-M) said “It is a very important issue. Over the last several years, drug addiction has drastically increased. Who ruled this region for the past ten years? They must answer for this rise. What measures have they taken to address it,” asked Tarigami.
Earlier during proceedings of the House, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the sulking Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Mehraj Malik “You are in my heart and a younger brother,” after he complained about being provided a seat behind the opposition BJP members in the House.