NAVVNEET DUBEY
Jammu: Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday shared that party leader Mubarak Gul was spot on with his prediction that the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be divided into parts and Article 370 and 35-A will be abrogated. Chief minister shared the anecdote while speaking in on Gul’s private member to provide for the Salaries, Allowances and other benefits of the Chief Whip of the majority party in the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of the Jammu and Kashmir.
Omar sharing happening during the National Conference’s meeting on August 4, 2019 said, “During the party’s meeting at Nawa-i-Subh on August 3 or 4, when we were deliberating as what is going to happen to Jammu and Kashmir, it was only Mubarak Gul who thumped the desk with full certainty and said that J&K state will divided into two parts and Article 370 and 35A would be abrogated but at that point of time I laughed at him”.
“I told him that there was no election in sight and the next parliamentary election is due in four and half years, so what are you talking about? So they(BJP led government) can sell it in elections to win more seats”, added Omar.
“After we reached home and during the August 5 morning I watched the television and our houses were locked from outside and J&K met its fate, I only remembered Mubarak Gul. I wanted to apologize to Gul Sahib for laughing at him during the meeting,” Omar Abdullah said. The Chief Minister said that till date he is not aware of how Mubarak Gul came to know about August 5 happening before the date.
Commenting on Mubarak Gul’s bill, the Chief Minister said that Gul’s stature doesn’t require any perks as a Chief Whip as he is a respected member and his work has been in front of the people and the House. The CM had opposed Gul’s bill and requested him to withdraw the bill and Gul did the same.
Nearly a dozen of the 33 private members’ bills listed in the Assembly were introduced, with most later withdrawn by their sponsors and some rejected by voice vote following the government’s response. Six bills with withdrawn by the private members whereas two were pressed which were rejected by the House. The ninth bill of BJP MLA Pawan Gupta was moved and opposed by the government but as the House was adjourned for the day, discussion couldn’t be held.
The first private members’ bill was introduced by Qaiser Jamshed Lone of MC which was regarding to amend cooperative societies Act of 1989, which was opposed by the government. The second bill was introduced by Mir Saifullah regarding giving reservation for poor children in private educational institutions which was opposed by the government and later on withdrawn by the MLA.
The third bill LA number 9 of 2025 was introduced by PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra regarding establishing a private university in Pulwama which was opposed by the government. The MLA pressed it for the vote which was rejected by the House. The fourth bill was introduced by the Congress party’s Nizamuddin Bhat which was opposed by the government as well. Bhat withdrew it later. After Bhat, another NC MLA Altaf Ahmed Wani introduced a bill regarding allowing private owners to cut walnut trees on their lands but was also opposed. On CM’s assurance that if new high density walnut trees replace the old ones, then the government will allow his updated bill in the future.
After that it was the turn of BJP MLA Balwant Mankotia to introduce a bill which sought “to provide for the protection of temples and retrieval of illegally occupied land in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which was opposed by the CM. When Mankotia presented his point that the aim of the bill is not only to protect the temples but to increase religious tourism, deputy CM Surinder Choudhary said that already laws are there to protect the temples and land and doesn’t require a new bill.
Choudhary said Jammu and Kashmir’s strength lies in its tradition of communal harmony and equal respect for all religions, asserting that successive governments, including the present dispensation led by Omar Abdullah, have ensured protection of temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches alike.
“I take pride in representing the legacy of (National Conference president) Farooq Abdullah, who has always stood for all religions and visited temples, mosques, gurdwaras, and churches. Wherever he went, people of every faith felt he belonged to them,” the deputy chief minister said.
“No religion or community has the right to encroach upon any sacred place of another, and no government has ever permitted such actions. This is the true essence and beauty of Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore, I do not believe there is a need for this Bill,” Choudhary said. He said the government remains committed not just to protecting temples, but all religious places. “If any encroachment has occurred, strict action will be taken.”
The deputy chief minister said J-K already have institutional mechanisms in place like the Waqf Board for Muslims, the Gurdwara Prabandhak Board for Sikhs, and the Dharmarth Trust for Hindu religious institutions. With Mankotia declining to withdraw the Bill, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather put it to a voice vote, and the House rejected it.
NC MLA Bashir Veeri introduced a bill to restore and safeguard Jhelum but the same was opposed by the government. Veeri reluctantly withdrew it. BJP MLA Pawan Gupta introduced the bill regarding providing compassionate employment next to the kin of deceased government employees, security personnel and civilians affected by militancy or enemy action, which was also opposed. The bill is still in front of the House for discussion and is expected to be taken up on April 1.
