KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The short period of Assembly session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature, beginning from October 3, is likely to be a stormy affair with the main Oppositions all set to corner the PDP-BJP government on a host of issues including the controversial beef ban issue and delay in rehabilitation of flood victims.
The eight day session will commence with Governor NN Vohra’s address to the joint sitting of both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.
The opposition parties are gearing themselves to put the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government on the mat on beef ban issue, the recent unknown killings, and the delay in rehabilitation of flood victims.
Talking to KNS over phone NC’s General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said: “We will definitely raise the beef ban issue in the session and besides the delay in rehabilitation of flood victims. J&K is full of issues and we are not going to shut our mouths in the Assembly. We would definitely act as a responsible opposition and raise issues of public importance.”
He further said that NC working President Omar Abdullah will chair a meeting of party legislators late this evening to devise a strategy on how to make the government accountable. “We want to know what led PDP to enter into a compromise with BJP,” Sagar said.
He said: “People still remember that PDP sought votes against BJP. Then, what caused them to ally with the party that has a communal agenda? We would surely like to seek answers from the government on this.”
The NC leader said they would like the government to disclose its policy on rehabilitation of flood victims and beef ban issue. “We believe these issues are being given a political colour,” he said and added that nothing positive is being done on this front.
He said that his party would also react to the much-talked-about Common Minimum Program (CMP) of the present government as well.
NC has 15 legislators while Congress has 12. The two parties are set to get support from two independent MLAs: MY Tarigami and Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen.
JK Congress Chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir said they would not play the role of “opposition for the sake of opposition. “We will raise important issues and act as a constructive opposition,” he said.
The ruling PDP-BJP government finds itself on the back foot over several issues, including the controversial beef ban issue, rehabilitation of flood victims.
However, PDP said that the government is ready to discuss any issues raised by the opposition on the floor of the house. “We are ready to face the opposition in the house and discuss every issue,” PDP’s Chief spokesperson Mehboob Beigh said.
It is to mention here that two political parties and an independent member have submitted three separate bills with the legislative assembly secretariat seeking repeal of Dogra era laws that criminalize cow slaughter and sale of beef in J&K.
The CPI (m) state secretary and MLA from Kulgam constituency, Mohammad Yousuf Taragami, has moved a private member’s bill seeking repeal of Section 298-A, 298-B, 298-C and 298-D of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
National Conference has moved an anti-beef ban Bill with the Assembly secretariat seeking omission of Sections 298-A, 298-B, 298-C and 298-D of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC).
While as Ravinder Raina, BJP MLA from the Nowshera Assembly submitted a resolution demanding implementation of the ban on beef and capital punishment to all those who oppose it.
According to provisional calendar issued by the Assembly secretariat, there will be only seven sittings in the autumn session. The government business will be taken up on October 3, 5, 7 and 9. October 10 has been reserved for the private member Bill, if any.
Chairperson Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Hakeem Muhammad Yaseen and CPI (m) senior leader M Y Tarigami said that they would take issue like alleged mis-governance, beef ban, unemployment, rehabilitation of victims hit by 2014 floods and corruption on priority in the session.
“When there is freedom of religion, how can anyone throw a beef ban like issues on us? Despite nearing a year of its tenure, Mufti government has even failed to rehabilitate the 2014 flood victims. There is corruption going in such way everywhere as if there is no one to monitor it. PDP- BJP government is missing on the ground and there is no one to address public grievances,” Yaseen said.
He said that government’s failure to start development programmes in Budgam district would be another priority to be raised in the Assembly.
Similarly, CPI (m) senior leader M Y Tarigami citing beef ban issue as the reason alleged that PDP- BJP government was polarizing people of the state.
“This government intentionally is trying to divide people. What was this government doing all the seven months despite knowing that a pill has been submitted in the court against the bovine slaughter? Why is PDP silent on this grave issue? There are deliberate attempts to divide people of the state into regions,” he said.
Tarigami said that not to talk about rehabilitation of flood victims, but alleged that government has even failed to repair the Jhelum Bund and banks of the other streams damaged by the floods in 2014.
“Government needs to answers on its failures. The issue of unemployment, regularization of adhoc, contractual, causal labours and NYC will be my other priorities for this session,” he added.
