Srinagar: Peoples Conference chief and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, in a scathing attack on the ruling National Conference (NC) on Wednesday, accused the party of deliberately stifling debate on the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly to “remain in BJP’s good books”.
According to the news agency KNO, Lone addressed a press conference hours after the Assembly Speaker adjourned the House sine die, effectively cutting short the session without addressing the Waqf bill.
He alleged a “fixed match” between the NC and BJP, claiming the two parties conspired to silence opposition to the legislation, which he argued undermines Muslim autonomy over religious endowments across in India.
Lone condemned the Speaker’s decision to block discussion. “This was a fixed match. The Speaker is an NC member, placed there by his party. Those protesting outside were NC workers, and those posing for selfies in Tulip Garden were also NC leaders. People now see NC’s true face. For three days, they stalled us. Then the Assembly was adjourned. They ensured no voice from Jammu and Kashmir could challenge this bill.”
Lone drew parallels to past controversies under NC rule, including the 1987 election rigging, the imposition of POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act), and the executions of Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru. “Who signed those death warrants? Who defended the BJP alliance while being their foreign minister? NC must answer for the bloodshed during their tenure.”
Lone mocked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent visit to Srinagar’s Tulip Garden with Union Minister Kiran Rijiju, calling it a staged spectacle. “Omar sahab claims he ‘just went for a walk’—but with a 40-car convoy? He took selfies with the union minister. Actually, he’s desperate to stay in BJP’s good graces.”
The PC chairman revealed that opposition members had filed a no-confidence motion against the Speaker, daring NC to support it. “If NC backs the motion, they admit the Speaker erred. If they reject it, they’re complicit. Today, NC must choose: side with Kashmir or BJP.”
On the Speaker’s claim that the Waqf issue was “sub-judice”, Lone claimed that the Supreme Court hasn’t even admitted a single petition. “This is pure drama. Passing a resolution wouldn’t land anyone in jail—it’s about democratic dissent. Muslims, like all Indians, deserve the right to manage their religious affairs without sermons from non-Muslims. This is about faith, not politics.”
“Fifty members cutting papers, shouting—it’s a picnic, not a legislature. History will condemn NC for betraying Kashmiris,” Lone said.
Meanwhile, PDP leader and Pulwama MLA Waheed ur Rehman Parra alleged that a deeper conspiracy was at play, which prevented crucial issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir including Waqf (Amendment) Bill from being discussed in the Legislative Assembly.
“Unfortunately, the entire session was held according to the BJP’s agenda. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill should have been debated thoroughly, as happened in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. We had expected strong opposition here, considering that Jammu and Kashmir is a Muslim-majority region. That didn’t happen—and it’s a huge disappointment,” Parra told the KNO outside the Assembly Secretariat.
He added that several other critical issues were also deliberately sidelined. “There was a bill on daily-wagers, a bill on property rights, a bill on the rationalization of reservations, and even a bill on statehood. All of this was left in disarray because the NC refused to allow a debate on the Waqf issue or to pass a resolution against the bill. That destroyed everything.”
Asked about the pandemonium witnessed on the floor of the House on the last day of the budget session, particularly his verbal spat with Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik, Parra was guarded in his response and termed the ruckus as “an issue of least importance”.
“I think the most important thing at a larger level is the Waqf issue. Unfortunately, on the last day of the session—after six years—we were finally looking forward to an elected government, to an assembly session where debates and discussions could be held, breaking the long silence in Jammu and Kashmir. But the most sensitive issue, the Waqf Amendment Bill, was brushed aside. India is the second-largest Muslim country, and Jammu and Kashmir is its largest Muslim-majority region. We expected a threadbare discussion and a resolution against the bill. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen—and that’s our biggest disappointment with this House.” (With inputs from KNO)
