MLA Handwara Sajad Lone Stages Walkout from House After Exhaustive Deliberations Over Multiple Issues With Speaker

Srinagar, Mar 04: MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone, who also is President Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Conference, staged a walkout from House after lengthy, yet apparently abortive, deliberations with speaker of the House Abdul Rahim Rather on Tuesday.

Shortly after the culmination of Question Hour, the MLA Handwara engaged Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather over disallowing his amendments with regard to Article 370. Lone simultaneously raised his demand for a probe into the ‘rigging’ of 1987 elections, police verification issue and PSA detentions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lone maintained that five of his seven amendments to LG Manoj Sinha’s inaugural address, were rejected by the Speaker.

The disallowed amendments, Lone said, include the restoration of Article 370 and 35A, repeal of the Public Safety Act, a probe into the 1987 election rigging, abolition of Kashmir-specific police verification, and discussion on recent civilian deaths.

Decrying the people of Jammu and Kashmir being victims of lengthy police verifications, Lone said that these (verification) rules are very stringent. “I myself am a victim, no body should be punished for what their kins have done,” Lone asserted. “We cannot turn a blind eye towards such issues.”

“Stifling democratic debate could have serious consequences and demands either a reconsideration of the decision or a clear explanation for rejecting the amendments,” Lone said.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on his behalf tried to mellow down Lone on the objections raised, however an irked Lone later on staged a walkout from the House. (KB)