KL News Network
JAMMU
After the twin adjournments over the confrontation between the Speaker and the Chief Minister, the latter has started consultation with her colleagues. Sources said a quick informal meeting is going on in the civil secretariat where most of the PDP lawmakers have attended.
It was not immediately known what the meeting will discuss but there are clear indications about what the agenda could be. The ruling party is expected to consider the way-out to react to the situation that emerged after Kavinder Gupta directed expunging the words “anti national” from the speech of Chief Minister’s Monday speech.
Ms Mufti on Monday, winding up the debate on grants to her department, said that Article 370 is the article of faith and talking against it is anti-national. Peeved over the coverage of this speech by media, Gupta on Tuesday directed that the “anti-national” be expunged from the records.
Omar Abdullah and other opposition members took a strong note against the move. They said it was unprecedented and smacked lack of confidence between the alliance partners and even the Speaker. He said the BJP must explain its position.
After the House met again and opposition took the issue, the Speaker clarified that he will see the records first and then only will expunge the word anti-national, “if it is there”. This pushed the House to Pandemonium and another adjournment was announced.
After this meeting, lawmaker went to different corners and started meeting on party lines. Sources said the BJP lawmakers had met in the morning and discussed the statement of the Chief Minister. It was only after that the Speaker issued the direction. Interestingly, the crisis erupted after the visit of BJP leader Ram Madhav, one of the architects of the Agenda of Alliance.
Assembly watchers and political observers said that if the alliance partners stuck to their positions, the crisis has the potential of taking a rough course that can even lead to unmaking of the ruling alliance – the north pole – south pole alliance.
The two parties at the same time are trying to reconcile with the differences and put up a joint show. Sources said the two sides may meet to resolve the issue.
