Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday criticized BJP legislator for “attempting to influence” the J&K Assembly Speaker on what should or shouldn’t be permitted in the House.
Mehbooba was reacting to the Leader of Opposition (LoP) statement that no “anti-national or unconstitutional” bill would be allowed to be tabled in the Budget Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly scheduled to begin on March 3.
“Our stand is clear that we will not allow any unconstitutional and anti-national bill to be introduced in the budget session,” the LoP Sunil Sharma told reporters in Jammu before attending the All Party Meeting called by the Speaker J&K Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather.
Mehbooba questioned the BJP legislator asserting that the J&K Assembly should remain a space for open debate.
“Quite surprising to see a BJP legislator attempting to influence the Speaker of the assembly about what should or shouldn’t be permitted in the House. The Speaker’s role is to maintain fairness and order, not to cater to any single party’s agenda,” she said in a post on x.
“The question arises who determines what qualifies as anti-national or unconstitutional. The J&K assembly should be a forum for open debate, not a setting where anyone dictates a list of acceptable topics,” she added.
The upcoming J&K Assembly budget session, which would be the first budget of the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference government after assuming power on October 16 last year, is set to be stormy. The J&K People’s Conference chairman and MLA Sajad Lone has submitted a resolution to be taken up for the restoration of Article 370 during the budget session. Besides, private members bills seeking a ban on alcohol sale and consumption across the Union Territory are also likely to be tabled in the House.
