The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned twice amid pandemonium on Monday after members of the ruling National Conference (NC) and its allies protested against the enactment of the Wakf (Amendment) Act and tore its copies.
The legislators also protested Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s decision to reject their adjournment motion on the Wakf Amendment Act.
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The assembly faced repeated disruptions after the Speaker rejected an adjournment motion saying the matter was sub judice. He adjourned the House as chaos prevailed for the third time. A notice for the adjournment motion was given to the Speaker by nine members from across the NC, Congress, and Independents.
Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma (BJP), mounted a loud opposition to the motion, triggering an uproar.
“It is a religious matter concerning our faith. There is no issue more pressing than this. Will you, Speaker, adjourn the house to address this critical issue?” NC’s Tanvir Sadiq said.
There was sloganeering against the Act by NC and Congress members.
Intervening in the matter, the Speaker referred to rule 58, sub-section 7, stating that issues pending in the court cannot be discussed in the House. “The Bill is currently sub-judice in the Supreme Court. I have received writ petitions. It cannot be debated here,” he said.
He also stressed that the constitutionality of the Bill is a matter for the court to decide. PDP member Wahid Para pointed at the religious significance of the matter. “It is a crucial religious matter. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a resolution on it. The house should act accordingly,” he said.
The Speaker countered by saying that the Tamil Nadu Assembly’s resolution predated the court proceedings. “It is sub judice. I will not allow an adjournment,” he asserted.
During the ruckus, NC member Majid Larmi’s coat was torn. Party members held up pieces of the torn dress as a symbol of protest against the Act.
