Srinagar, Apr 9: For the third consecutive day, disruptions over the demand for a debate on the newly introduced Waqf Amendment Act brought the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly proceedings to a halt, leading Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to adjourn the House sine die on Wednesday, effectively concluding the Budget Session.
During his address, the Speaker defended his earlier decision to reject an adjournment motion from National Conference (NC) members and their alliance partners, who had sought a discussion on the Waqf Act. He also dismissed a no-confidence motion moved against him by Opposition Leader Sajad Gani Lone and two other legislators, citing procedural rules and technical grounds.
Rather’s statement marked a rare moment of calm, as he was able to speak uninterrupted for over 15 minutes amidst the chaos. The past three days had been marred by loud protests and slogan-shouting from both the treasury and opposition benches, severely disrupting the session.
The 21-day session, which began on March 3 with the Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) address, concluded on Wednesday afternoon.
On Wednesday morning, the session was once again marred by protests, with NC legislators demanding time to discuss the Waqf Amendment Act. Meanwhile, BJP members entered the well of the House to raise concerns over pressing issues such as unemployment.
In response to the escalating tensions, the Speaker adjourned the House until 1 PM, but when the session reconvened, the protests resumed. AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, who had reportedly clashed with BJP and PDP legislators during the break, attempted to speak but was not allowed due to the ongoing uproar.
The previous two days had seen full-day adjournments, with the Speaker citing the subjudice status of the Waqf Amendment Act as the reason for not allowing a discussion. On Wednesday, NC members again rushed to the well, reiterating their demand to suspend the day’s proceedings and address the Waqf issue.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia moved a motion to discuss unemployment, which was denied by the Speaker, who argued that the issue was not new and did not qualify as urgent under the rules.
Despite the noise, the Speaker made an attempt to proceed with the listed business by allowing BJP MLA Sunil Bhardwaj to ask a question. However, his voice was barely audible due to the ongoing protests.
NC MLA Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi appealed to the Speaker to use his discretionary powers and allow a half-hour discussion on the Waqf Amendment Act to restore order in the House. Gurezi called the act discriminatory towards Muslims and accused the BJP of politicising religious differences while neglecting critical issues such as job creation. “BJP had ten years to provide employment. Now, they are pretending to care,” he said, alleging that the party had eroded people’s rights, particularly over land and jobs.
In response, BJP members, led by Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, stormed the well of the House, joining the NC protest and sitting in protest alongside the opposition members.
Earlier in the day, NC leaders and their allies had convened a second meeting within 17 hours in an attempt to resolve the deadlock. However, like the previous evening’s discussions, Wednesday’s meeting failed to produce any breakthrough.
With no resolution in sight and legislative business crippled, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather announced the adjournment of the House sine die.
Before concluding, the Speaker thanked all Assembly members for their cooperation in ensuring the smooth conduct of proceedings, despite the disruptions. He also expressed gratitude to various stakeholders, including the Information Department, Assembly Secretariat, Health Department, Radio, Doordarshan, J&K Police, and the media for their support during the session.
Assembly Proceedings:
In his closing remarks, the Speaker provided an overview of the session’s progress. He informed the House that during the session, 1355 questions had been received, with 154 main questions taken up and 353 supplementary questions answered. Additionally, 1738 Cut Motions were received, of which 1731 were debated.
The Speaker also highlighted that three government bills were passed during the session, and 33 Private Members’ Bills were received and listed for discussion. He noted that the House had received 78 Calling Attention Motions, with 23 listed for discussion, and 34 disallowed.
In a significant statistic, the Speaker mentioned that 109 resolutions were submitted during the session, with 85 admitted and 14 listed for debate. He added that the session had utilised over 39 hours of parliamentary time, making it the second longest Budget session in the country for 2025.
LG greets people on Mahavir Jayanti
Jammu, April 09: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha has greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, which will be celebrated on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
In a message, the Lieutenant Governor has said: “Heartiest greetings and best wishes to all on the auspicious occasion of Mahavir Jayanti.
“Lord Mahavir’s teachings of non-violence, compassion, truth, peace and humility guide us to the path of happiness and contentment. As we celebrate Mahavir Jayanti, let us embrace the path of Ahimsa (non-violence) and Satya (truth) and work for peace, harmony, and welfare of humanity”.
