He made some remarks that were objected to by the BJP members, who raised slogans seeking an apology from the CM
Photo: IANS
Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday when BJP members objected to certain remarks of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and demanded an apology from him. Omar had defended the budget and criticised the Indo-US trade deal while replying to the debate on the UT’s budget.
He made some remarks that were objected to by the BJP members, who raised slogans seeking an apology from the CM. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather tried to persuade the BJP members to take their seats and ruled that their protest would not be recorded.
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The BJP members termed Omar’s remarks as “unparliamentary”.
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Speaking on the recent Indo-US trade deal, the Chief Minister said it was disadvantageous to the interests of horticulturists of Jammu and Kashmir. Allowing duty-free import of American produce would have devastating consequences for local growers dependent on crops such as almonds, saffron, apples and kiwis.
Omar said those BJP members who appreciated the Indo-US trade deal should explain how it was beneficial for J&K. “Tree nuts, dry fruits, fresh fruits, and dairy will be imported duty-free. What else do we have in J&K? We have only dry fruits like almonds, walnuts, etc., fruits, and saffron. If all these are imported duty-free from the US, J&K will definitely suffer losses”.
He said that while the trade deal may benefit other regions, Jammu and Kashmir would only incur losses. “I cannot say who will benefit, but as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, I am speaking for my people. We will get no benefit from this Indo-US trade deal.
”The trade deal has come while we were giving a boost to the local horticulture industry. The Kiwi growers and honey beekeepers of Jammu will also suffer a severe setback,” he stated.
Later, talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Omar said there was no question of tendering an apology to the BJP members. ”They did not allow me to speak and interrupted my speech”.
On Pakistan withdrawing its boycott of the T20 World Cup match against India, he said, “They should not issue threats if they cannot stand by them. They got scared and retracted their words. They should have quietly come and played and let the result speak.”
Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma (BJP) said, “I feel that in the history of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly proceedings, today will be written in black letters. It will be remembered as a day that has shamed the democratic process”.
“By crossing all limits of decorum and tearing apart the sanctity of this Assembly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has crossed such limits of misconduct that it neither befits the office of a Chief Minister nor has any Chief Minister in any Assembly of this country ever said such things”.
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