Speaker clarifies: Didn’t reject resolution on July 13 holiday

Srinagar, Jul 12: Responding to People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti’s social media post regarding a resolution by her party to declare a holiday on July 13, the Speaker of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, on Saturday clarified that her statement is “misleading and factually incorrect”.Rather said the resolution in question, submitted by (MLA) Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, was admitted during the Budget Session 2025-26 held in March at Jammu. He said the Assembly Secretariat received a total of 111 resolutions from 34 members. Out of these, 87 resolutions were admitted for balloting, while the rest were disallowed as per established rules.Specifically, Parra submitted four resolutions; two of these were admitted, including the one seeking to declare July 13 as an official holiday to honour the sacrifices of protestors against autocratic forces, the Speaker said, adding that the member was informed about this through the Assembly Secretariat Bulletin No.LA1353/Legn/2025 dated March 14, 2025.Rather said the process of prioritising private members’ resolutions involved a separate balloting conducted under Rule-28 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the J&K Legislative Assembly. “This was held in the presence of seven members on March 25, 2025. Sixteen resolutions secured a place in the house and were listed for discussion on April 7 and 9, 2025,” he said, adding that although Parra’s resolution was admitted, it did not secure a place during the balloting process, and the process was completed according to the rules.The Speaker reiterated that his role is to maintain impartiality and that a resolution not securing a place on the ballot does not imply rejection. “The statement suggesting the resolution was outright rejected by him is factually incorrect,” he said.