Uproarious scenes were witnessed on Wednesday in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in Srinagar after BJP MLA Shagun Parihar accused the UT government of neglecting certain areas of Kishtwar where “nationalist Hindus” reside. These remarks triggered wordy duels between the BJP and ruling National Conference (NC) members.
Congress legislators also objected to her remarks.
Parihar made these remarks during Zero Hour when Minister Javid Dar urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to expunge the “objectionable” remarks.
NC MLA Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi said thousands of Muslims have given sacrifices for the nation, and they should not be insulted. He also urged the Speaker to expunge the words used by the BJP MLA.
Amid the din, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians in Jammu and Kashmir were equally nationalists like the Hindus.
However, Parihar said PDP leaders had also made such remarks during the house proceedings on Tuesday. “PDP members stated that Hindus play divide and rule,” she claimed.
Deputy CM Surinder Kumar Choudhary and Parihar requested the Speaker to check the recordings of the house proceedings to ascertain the facts.
Minister Javid Ahmad Dar said the government does not work from a religious perspective. “We work equally for all people,” he added.
The Speaker asked the BJP MLA to choose her words carefully. “You have come to this house for the first time. Please choose your words carefully. You should not use objectionable words. You have a long way to go, we want you to progress,” Rather said.
The government introduced a Bill for enhancing the maximum age limit for holding the office of State Election Commissioner from 65 years to 70.
The Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, was introduced by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Javid Ahmad Dar.
“The State Election Commissioner shall hold office as such for a term of five years, including the period of his reappointment, if any is made, from the date upon which he enters upon his office or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier,” the Bill stated.
It said the State Election Commissioner (SEC) may resign from the post or can be removed as per the procedure provided in section 36B. As per the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, the SEC holds office for a term of five years or until attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
The government said there was a need to suitably amend this provision to enhance the maximum age limit for holding the office of SEC and introduce greater flexibility in certain circumstances. It also cited that the SEC in Uttar Pradesh holds office until the age of 70 years.
The government introduced another bill to enable the Special Tribunal to discharge the functions and powers of the Cooperative Appellate Tribunal. The Bill to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Societies Act, 1989, was introduced by Dar, who is also the minister for Cooperatives.