JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir assembly plunged deeper into chaos on Tuesday after Sajad Lone, a senior legislator and president of the People’s Conference, formally moved a no-confidence motion against Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, accusing him of undemocratic conduct and procedural violations.
Rather, a veteran National Conference (NC) leader and former finance minister faces criticism from opposition benches over what they allege is a deliberate stifling of debate, particularly on the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act. The motion, submitted under rule 215(A) of the assembly’s rules of procedure, marks an unprecedented escalation in the political standoff gripping the legislature.
The resolution, co-signed by Kupwara MLA Mir Mohammad Fayaz and Tral MLA Rafiq Ahmed Naik, alleges that Rather’s actions — including the rejection of an adjournment motion and the refusal to admit resolutions from opposition parties — have undermined democratic principles and procedures.
Speaking to reporters, Rather struck a defiant yet measured tone. “There is no problem if they have moved a no-confidence motion. If it’s passed and they succeed, I will go,” he said, adding that he remained unshaken by the protest from his own party colleagues. He emphasised that as per rules, a 14-day notice period must elapse before the motion is taken up for discussion.
Defending his conduct, Rather said his rulings were in line with legislative norms. “I acted purely by the rules,” he insisted, citing rule 58(9) to justify his rejection of the adjournment motion on the Waqf Act. “The matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court. It cannot be discussed in the House,” he said.
However, opposition leaders dismissed the sub-judice claim as an excuse. NC MLA Mir Saifullah asserted that the matter was not pending before the court in a way that bars discussion. Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat backed this view, saying the Speaker had the authority to permit debate when the House was clearly divided.
The assembly has seen three straight days of pandemonium, with Tuesday’s proceedings marked by adjournments, slogans, scuffles, and evictions. The speaker was forced to adjourn the House three times before suspending it for the day. On Wednesday, the House was adjourned till 1 pm.
Amid the uproar, PDP’s Waheed Parra stormed the well of the House, demanding the passage of a resolution against the Waqf Act. He was forcibly evicted by marshals on the Speaker’s orders. Sajad Lone, in an unusual suggestion, proposed that Rather step aside briefly to allow NC’s Mubarak Gul to chair the session and facilitate discussion. “You (speaker) better retire for five minutes. This will happen,” he said.
The clashes exposed deeper fractures among Kashmir-based parties, with NC members themselves leading protests against their party colleague. Lone called out the contradiction, saying, “It is ironic that NC members are protesting against the speaker from their own party to hoodwink the people.”
Rather, in turn, said the NC had already registered its dissent over the Waqf Act and must now allow the House to function. “What more do they want? They’ve sent their message to the world,” he said, adding that he had not spoken to NC president Farooq Abdullah or chief minister Omar Abdullah on the matter.
As BJP MLAs launched a counter-sit-in against the disruptions and ministers from across party lines acknowledged the Assembly’s role in addressing the bill, the speaker remained firm. “You cannot undo what the Parliament has already done,” Rather declared.
With legislative business paralysed for the third consecutive day, the impasse over the Waqf bill and the speaker’s conduct has thrown the House into uncertainty, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown in the coming days. Wednesday is the last day of the budget session.
