NAVNEET DUBEY
Jammu: The opposition BJP MLAs on Wednesday staged walkout from assembly, after speaker Abdul Rahim Rather expunged the “derogatory remarks” made by leader of opposition (LOP) Sunil Sharma criticizing July 13 holiday.
After conceding to demand from National Conference, PDP and Kashmir based independent MLAs, the speaker expunged remarks.
Speaker’s act infuriated BJP members who staged walkout amid sloganeering of Maharaja Hari Singh amar rahee.
The trouble erupted when Waheed-ur-Rehman Para while debating on motion of thanks to LG’s address demanded restoration of the public holiday on July 13 besides the December 5 holiday to mark the birth anniversary of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
BJP members including LoP and RS Pathania took exception to these demands.
Sunil Sharma labeled those killed in July 13,1931 as traitors and pointed out that they were not martyrs.
His remarks evoked widespread protests from the Treasury benches as well as from Kashmir-based opposition parties. The leaders demanded that the remarks be expunged from the records of the House.
While the BJP raised slogans of Maharaja Hari Singh amar rahee, the treasury benches shouted 1931 martyrs zindabad.
“These people challenged the integrity of the country and how we term them as martyrs. The Kashmir rulers have enjoyed the state gifted by Maharaja Hari Singh. Many top institutions including J&K Bank, Flood Channel, SPM College were all made by the last king of J&K and the same people who held rebellion against Maharaja Hari Singh-Kashmir rulers termed them as martyrs ,” he said.
Sharma said, “It was treason in 2010, when 110 lives were lost when Omar Abdullah was chief minister, and in 2016 when 116 lives were lost during the tenure of Mehbooba Mufti. If the PDP is speaking against that why didn’t they speak against 2016 killings when they were in power. These people (July 13 Martyrs) had gone against the Maharaja government and they were traitors.”
“I can feel the pain of Para after his party’s performance (in assembly elections). You are enjoying the state of Maharaja (Hari Singh)…,” he said, triggering protests by treasury benches led by NC, PDP and several independent members and slogan shouting from both sides.
CPI(M) member M Y Tarigami and Congress leader Nizamuddin Bhat also joined the chorus and demanded expunging of the remarks against the 1931 martyrs and an apology from the LoP.
Later, the speaker announced the expunging of the “derogatory remarks” following which all 28 members of the BJP staged a walkout.
Sharma also objected to Para’s remarks that there is a foot on a spring and in J&K, especially everything in Kashmir there is fragile peace.
Parra said, “Today the peace is enforced in Kashmir by the fear of UAPA, jails and other extreme measures”. “This is their wrong notion that the peace in Kashmir is hollow. The terrorism is taking its last breath, while separatism and Jamaat are buried. The foot is not on the spring but at a smooth surface and Indian security forces have promised to restore peace in J&K,” Sharma told reporters outside the assembly.
Talking to reporters outside the House, Para also defended his speech and said, “July 13 is not the day against Jammu or anyone. This is the day to celebrate democracy and the democratic awakening of the people of J&K. It should be respected in that spirit and the way it was respected in the last seven decades.”
