Jammu: Proceedings in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly returned to normal on Wednesday after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed regret over his earlier remarks, ending repeated disruptions by BJP members.
BJP legislators had trooped into the well of the Assembly and staged a sit-in to press for Abdullah’s apology over his “unparliamentary remarks” against them. BJP members had also staged a walkout over the issue.
While the BJP members were shouting slogans, the chief minister entered the House to make a statement, prompting the speaker to ask the protesting members to return to their seats.
“As far as emotions are concerned, things do get said in the heat of the moment. If what I said hurt them, I regret that,” the chief minister said.
He, however, said whatever he said was about them; he did not bring any of their family members into it.
“I did not mention any of their relatives. However, their field commander (LOP) dragged my parents and my late grandfather into the matter. But let that also go. I am willing to leave that aside,” he said.
He criticised the absence of the LoP among the protesters and said their field commander abandoned them at the time of the crisis but “I salute them for holding their fort”.
“I care as much about my MLAs as I care about them. If I say that I am the elected chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, then I represent the voters here (treasury benches) as well as their voters (opposition).
“This morning, all their questions were pending. It would have been very easy for us; there were many questions that might have been difficult for us to answer. Now, because of this commotion, those questions will remain unanswered. And the Minister rightly said that departments like education, health, and social welfare are very important. I do not want their voters to feel ignored,” he said.
Addressing the Speaker, the chief minister said, “I leave it to you – if in my speech yesterday I used any unparliamentary word, you may expunge it from the record. I have no objection.”
Earlier, as the House assembled for the day, BJP legislator Sham Lal Sharma stood up and demanded that the Leader of the House should apologise for his remarks or a statement be made by the speaker in the absence of the chief minister.
“Such an incident has no precedent. The language used by the chief minister, the Leader of the House, is not a language that can be used in any Parliament…I want to ask the Leader of the House whether he withdraws the words he used yesterday in this House about the BJP legislative party,” Sharma said.
“If he does not withdraw them, then we leave it to his conscience — what his inner voice tells him — whether the words used in this House were appropriate or not. If the chief minister is not present here, then I leave it to the Chair and to make a response. It is your responsibility to say something about this matter,” he said.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather tried to persuade the BJP members to allow the Question Hour to continue and rake up the issue when the Leader of the House is on the floor.
“Whatever happened yesterday (Tuesday) was unfortunate. Let the chief minister come and if he wishes he can make a statement. I can’t make a statement on his behalf,” the speaker said.
Health minister Sakeena Itoo accused BJP members of using unparliamentary words as well, particularly against Deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary and speaking lies in the house.
Choudhary suggested the chair to examine all the unparliamentary words used from both sides and expunge these from the records to continue the proceedings without any disruption.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma opposed the suggestion and refused to budge and later led the walkout, chanting slogans like “derogatory sarkar hai hai and unparliamentary sarkar hai hai” besides ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.
Pandemonium broke out in the House during Abdullah’s speech on Tuesday when BJP members objected to some of his remarks against them and demanded an apology.
Abdullah was winding up the discussion on the Union Territory’s Budget presented on February 6 when BJP members termed certain remarks made by him “unparliamentary.”
While the chief minister has ruled out apologising to BJP members for the remarks, saying he was willing to withdraw his words but was not allowed to speak amid repeated disruptions, Sharma said the party would not allow the House to function until the CM tendered an unconditional apology on the floor of the House. (With inputs from PTI)
