SRINAGAR: Former Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President, Omar Abdullah expressed his dismay over the approval granted by the Jammu Kashmir Administration to film a TV series within the Legislative Assembly complex.
The true face of “the mother of democracy”, where once elected representatives of the people from all parties, religions, backgrounds & parts of J&K legislated on matters of great importance now actors & extras use it as a set for TV dramas. What a shame that the BJP driven… pic.twitter.com/kukyD0cQgt
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 12, 2024
He condemned the incident as a disgrace, emphasizing the degradation of the once-revered ‘temple of democracy.’ Last June, the administration permitted the filming of the Hindi-language TV series ‘Maharani,’ featuring Huma Qureshi, within the assembly premises in Jammu.
Taking to Twitter, Abdullah criticised the transformation of the assembly, where elected representatives once deliberated on significant matters, into a backdrop for TV dramas. He lamented the state of affairs, attributing it to the BJP-led government in J&K, accusing them of diminishing the symbol of democracy.
In his tweet, Abdullah highlighted the irony of actors and extras now using the assembly complex, which was formerly the domain of elected representatives from diverse backgrounds. He specifically pointed out the depiction of a fake Chief Minister emerging from an office he occupied for six years, terming it an absolute shame.
Alongside his comments, Abdullah shared photographs related to the TV series shoot.
‘Maharani’ focuses on the political and social developments during the tenure of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly bid adieu to its political slumber on December 20, 2018, as the Governor took action after the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government lost support from the 25-member BJP on June 20, 2018. The assembly remained in suspended animation until December 19, 2018, amidst a political crisis.
Unknown to the assembly itself, a political metamorphosis awaits the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The assembly’s strength will increase by seven seats, while the council of ministers will be reduced to 10% of the total legislative strength. The total number of assembly segments will grow from 107 to 114, including 24 seats reserved for representatives from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The day it resumes by later 2024, it will not have an upper house, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative council
