PC chief stages walkout as Speaker disallows motions

Srinagar, Mar 04: People’s Conference (PC) chairman and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone walked out of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday after the Speaker disallowed his motions demanding critical issues be addressed. He accused the government of suppressing voices and failing to take up significant matters affecting the region.
Lone had moved several motions seeking amendments to the Lt Governor’s address to the House, including calls for the restoration of Article 370 and 35A, the repeal of the Public Safety Act (PSA), and action on police verifications. He sought a probe into the controversial 1987 Assembly elections and the return of political prisoners detained outside the region. However, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather disallowed these motions, saying that a resolution on the restoration of special status had already been passed by the Assembly, and the issues raised were under the jurisdiction of the Central government.
The PC chief expressed his frustration, claiming the Speaker’s refusal to allow discussion on these topics was an attempt to silence dissent. “We walked out because the Speaker disallowed our motions. The government promised to address these issues before the elections but now refuses to even discuss them,” he said.
The controversy also surrounded the concerns over the police verification system, which Lone said penalises families for actions they had no part in.
Joining Lone in his criticism, Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat also raised concerns about the police verification process, which he described as a form of collective punishment.
The Speaker, in his response, suggested that issues like the repeal of PSA could only be addressed after statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir. This further ignited the tension within the Assembly.