J-K Assembly adjourned again following ruckus over Waqf Act, PDP member marshalled out
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Jammu (PTI): The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned by for the second time on Tuesday following a ruckus in the House by National Conference (NC), Congress, PDP and other members over the disallowance of adjournment of business to discuss the Waqf Amendment Act.
This is the second consecutive day on which treasury benches did not allow the House to function.
As the House assembled for the day, NC members led by Salman Sagar, Tanvir Sadiq and Peoples Conference member Sajad Gani Lone raised the issue of adjourning the Budget Session to discuss the Bill in the House.
As Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather asked them to allow the Question Hour to begin, members of NC, Congress, PDP, and Independents trooped into the well of the House, raising slogans and demanding the withdrawal of the "black law."
Amid the noisy scenes, PDP member Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra stormed into the well of the House, demanding the immediate passage of the resolution moved by his party.
As Parra, carrying a copy of the resolution in his hand, pressed for its passage, NC leader Abdul Majid Larmi accused him of being an "RSS agent," sparking a heated verbal exchange between NC members and other opposition legislators, including Sheikh Kursheed.
When Parra attempted to enter the well of the House, the Speaker directed Marshals to evict him.
"I was demanding passage of the resolution in the House over the Bill. It is unfortunate on the part of the Speaker to remove me from the House. This is a Muslim majority region. We have over 60 Muslim legislators in the House, but we cannot discuss and pass the resolution," he told reporters outside the House.
Nine members of the NC, Congress, and Independent MLAs had submitted notices to the Speaker to adjourn business for holding a discussion on the issue on Monday. The House was adjourned for the day after two adjournments due to the pandemonium.
Amid noisy scenes, NC members Nazir Gurezi, Salman Sagar, and Tanvir Sadiq urged the Speaker to allow the discussion, considering the sentiments of the members as it pertained to a religious matter.
"We want to discuss the issue. It is our religious matter. This is a Muslim-majority state. Please allow the discussion," Gurezi said.
The Speaker said that the motion was disallowed as the matter was sub-judice. "You cannot undo what Parliament has done. No discussion can be held on this. I have not allowed any discussion," the Speaker said.
As pandemonium broke out in the House, the Speaker initially adjourned the proceedings for 30 minutes. The ruckus continued in the House for over 12 minutes.
When the House reassembled after the adjournment, treasury benches and PDP members continued to demand a discussion on the issue.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday said it has concerns over the Waqf Amendment Act and urged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to hold a discussion on it in the House.
"This government is chosen by the people. Members have been elected by the people. If it is the concern of the members, it is the concern of the government too. We cannot say it is not the concern of the government," Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary told the House amid the uproar.
He said the members wanted a discussion on the issue as it concerned most members of the House. "We should listen to them. They should be allowed to speak on the issue," he said.
He was reacting to Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s ruling in the House that the issue, apart from being sub-judice, cannot be taken up for discussion as it is not the concern of the government.
Referring to Section 58, sub-rule 9, the Speaker said, "The motion shall not relate to a matter which is not primarily the concern of the government. If it is not the concern of this government, the motion cannot be taken up."
This triggered massive protests from members, who thumped desks and raised slogans.
Responding to him, Minister for Agriculture Javed Dar and Minister Sakina Itoo said it is the concern of the government.
Nazir Gurezi of the NC said the Supreme Court has not admitted the matter as no notices have been issued. "Keeping this in view, a discussion can be held," he said.
However, BJP member Sham Lal Sharma and Peoples Conference member Sajad Lone told the protesting treasury benches to bring a no-confidence motion to remove the Speaker.
As the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 1 pm.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
