Speaker’s role is to safeguard MLAs’ rights, not threaten them: Mehbooba

Pulwama, Feb 23: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the primary responsibility of the Speaker is to protect the rights of Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) rather than “intimidate” them for discussing legislative matters with the public.
Speaking to the media after addressing a PDP workers’ program in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Mufti said her party has introduced three bills in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. These include one for the regularisation of daily wagers, another seeking proprietary rights for those residing on state land, and a third advocating a ban on liquor in the region.
She urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to support these bills and ensure their passage in the Assembly. “At the same time, I remind the Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that his duty is to uphold the rights of MLAs,” she said, “The Speaker should not threaten legislators for engaging in discussions with the public about the bills they introduce.”
Mufti strongly advocated for public discourse on legislative matters, including questions, resolutions, and bills to promote accountability and transparency.
Elaborating on the bills, she recalled that during her tenure as Chief Minister, an SRO was issued in favour of thousands of daily wage employees who have been struggling for regularization for the past 25 years. “My government had allocated a budget for their regularisation, but due to its collapse, the process could not be completed,” she said.
The PDP chief further said that the second bill seeks to grant ownership rights to underprivileged individuals residing on state land, as well as schools operating on such land. “We live in a Muslim-majority region, yet our youth are increasingly falling prey to drug and alcohol addiction,” she said, “Substance abuse is devastating countless families in Jammu and Kashmir.”
The former chief minister said many significant parliamentary bills, such as the recent Waqf Bill, undergo public debate for months before passage.
“Unfortunately, it appears that Rather Sahab, despite being a seasoned politician, is enforcing a form of martial law while occupying a constitutional position,” she said.