movement on developmental front. “It is a death wish for the state,” a top bureaucrat told Kashmir Life. “Now there was peace on streets and we had adequate money to spend but they (PDP) brought in new problem.”

Some commoners in Srinagar are ready to give Omar the benefit of doubt. “On cabinet expansion, he tried to assert saying he will take clean faces from Congress but it did not happen because Congress wanted to have whoever it had at senior level,” a Congress insider said. “Had he indulged in such activities, he would not have even thought on those lines”. Though governor Vohra’s chit has given Omar room to resume duties, the PDP is raising a larger question: Can MHAs clean chit help when its own appendages are in the dock?

One of the bigger questions is why did PDP rake up the issue at all? Were they left without an issue? What they intended to achieve? Shabir Ahmad, a Shopian resident was very sympathetic to PDP because “Mufti ruled better.” But he is angry that the sex abuse scandal has “put the Shopian crisis off the radar.” “This is a disservice for petty political gains.” Two months have passed since the two women were raped and murdered. Authorities have detained four cops for destruction of evidence but there is no outcome on the main investigations. “Now the attention is totally diverted. Who knows what will happen in the case?” he asked.

PDP says they felt choked totally and completely in the state assembly. Before the start of the session, the speaker rejected 13 of the 15 resolutions PDP submitted. “NC was trying to depoliticize the discourse on Kashmir issue and reduce the scope of legislature to mere municipal body. We will resist this strategy tooth and nail,” Mehbooba Mufti said on eve of the session’s start. “If these issues were earlier raised by the party in the Round Table Conference, why these can not be discussed in the state legislature?”

Political scientist Prof Gul Wani agrees, “The opposition’s major issues which they have been taking up are otherwise known to us like AFSPA, self rule and human rights. But this time the Speaker did not entertain them and the party resorted to non-issues that triggered disruptions”.

Day one of the session was reserved for obituary references. Speaker Akbar Lone permitted BJP leaders to raise issues pertaining to security checks and the queries about question hour. He even responded to the issues. NC legislator Choudhary Ramzan followed and diverted the attention of the house to the situation in Handwara, where high speed winds destroyed property. PDP members sought time; the speaker ignored them. Agitated the PDP pressed on; a few minutes later, the speaker began ordering the assembly staff to take them out. “Take this lady out,” the speaker repeated many times, referring to the PDP president Mehbooba Mufti. Humiliated, furious Mehbooba wrenched the speaker’s mike—an act that brought wide condemnation to the PDP. The party went out on the road and were on a symbolic sit-in till assembly adjourned for the day.

On the second day of the session no PDP members were permitted to speak. The ruckus continued for most of the question hour till the speaker agreed to offer Baig some time during the zero hour. By then, the speaker was shown live on TV using the abusive language and even using the middle finger repeatedly. “Molvi, I know you, I know you fully. Did you not try to defeat me?” the speaker once taunted Iftikhar Ansari, the Shia cleric and businessman. “Kya, Kya Chour Nahin Hai Aap,” the speaker added as the verbal duels between the treasury and the opposition continued. A satellite channel had to beam out some abusive words our lawmakers spoke. Soon after that Baig’s stinging allegation followed.

But was absence of space the only issue that forced PDP to go to such an extreme? Prof Wani believes that sleaze racket is a potential issue especially when the involvement of some Congressmen is fairly established. “The party was frustrated over Omar’s Delhi support getting stronger by way of better funds and overall support so they used the racket to attack the coalition and create a situation in which Omar’s development plank suffers,” Wani added. “I personally felt offended by how speaker was conducting the house. They should have protested over this and even sought his change which might have got them a better support,” said Zahoor Ahmad, a government employee.

The sex abuse scandal has been there for a long time. It was detected when Mufti Sayeed was the chief minister. Mufti felt that part of his council of ministers will have to go to jail

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