Srinagar, Apr 11: People’s Conference (PC) President and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, launched a blistering attack on the National Conference (NC), accusing it of deliberately disrupting Assembly proceedings for three consecutive days to avoid a substantive discussion on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
In a sharply worded post on X (formerly Twitter), Lone questioned the dual role NC was allegedly playing as both the ruling party and the opposition, calling the spectacle an “ugly blend of cacophony and cantankerousness.”
“The NC attempted the impossible feat of being both the ruling party and the opposition. With a brute majority, over 50 of them held the entire Assembly to ransom,” he wrote, likening the scenes in the House to “a nursery school” where MLAs, some well into their 70s, were “jumping on tables, shouting slogans, and throwing papers in the air.”
Lone said the Assembly Speaker—himself an NC member—deliberately avoided facilitating a debate on the Waqf Bill, terming it “sub judice,” despite an adjournment motion being brought forward.
“The speaker looked like an unworried principal, pretending to be lost, but in full knowledge of how and when the ‘song and dance performance’ would end,” he remarked sarcastically.
The PC leader questioned why the NC, despite having a clear majority and full control of the government, failed to act on an issue that holds deep significance for the Muslim population of J&K.
“They could have removed the Speaker and appointed someone who would allow the debate. But clearly, power is for perks, not responsibility. This was their chance to send a powerful message that we will not accept interference in our religious affairs,” Lone said.
MLA Lone further criticised the NC for not supporting the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against the Speaker, calling it a “betrayal hidden behind theatrics”.
“NC sabotaged the Waqf discussion and used noise to camouflage the mother of all betrayals – the Waqf betrayal,” he said, urging Kashmiris to see through what he called “the shouting brigade” and “a lost milestone in history”.
Lone said that while legal routes remain open, the opportunity for the J&K Assembly—the voice of India’s only Muslim-majority region—to oppose the bill in unity is now lost.
