They watched in silence as lawmakers resorted to fisticuffs in J&K Assembly
28 March 2015 5:33 AM IST
A group of school children were in for quite a spectacle in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Friday morning as lawmakers literally fought it out on the floor of the House. Unruly scenes of papers being thrown across the House, a bench being toppled over and other people throwing punches at each other dominated the proceedings.
Power projects not being transferred to the state government as promised is what led to the clashes. The government on its part claimed that financial and legal reasons prevented them from making the transfer.
According to opposition legislator Abdul Majeed, the situation arose because of the government’s refusal to listen. “When they were the opposition they used to break chairs. They should listen to us like we listen to them,” he said.
Marshals who tried to control the legislators were also jostled around and one was injured. Officials and security men were seen holding back a legislator who appeared ready to strike out. “We exposed school students to a very shameful spectacle. Unfortunately, these children are going back with not a good impression,” said Naeem Akhtar, a leader of the People’s Democratic Party that is part of Jammu and Kashmir government with the BJP.
“I am not sure the kids are going back with good memories,” Majeed remarked. The worry was confirmed by some of the students. “The way they behaved... I did not expect this,” said one of them.
The clashes began when lawmakers of the Congress and the National Conference went to the Well of the House and protested over power projects not being transferred to the state government as promised. The government said the transfer was not possible because of financial and legal reasons.
“They took three months to come up with a Common Minimum Programme (CMP). What we are being told in the name of a CMP is false,” said former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the
National Conference.
Power projects not being transferred to the state government as promised is what led to the clashes. The government on its part claimed that financial and legal reasons prevented them from making the transfer.
According to opposition legislator Abdul Majeed, the situation arose because of the government’s refusal to listen. “When they were the opposition they used to break chairs. They should listen to us like we listen to them,” he said.
Marshals who tried to control the legislators were also jostled around and one was injured. Officials and security men were seen holding back a legislator who appeared ready to strike out. “We exposed school students to a very shameful spectacle. Unfortunately, these children are going back with not a good impression,” said Naeem Akhtar, a leader of the People’s Democratic Party that is part of Jammu and Kashmir government with the BJP.
“I am not sure the kids are going back with good memories,” Majeed remarked. The worry was confirmed by some of the students. “The way they behaved... I did not expect this,” said one of them.
The clashes began when lawmakers of the Congress and the National Conference went to the Well of the House and protested over power projects not being transferred to the state government as promised. The government said the transfer was not possible because of financial and legal reasons.
“They took three months to come up with a Common Minimum Programme (CMP). What we are being told in the name of a CMP is false,” said former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the
National Conference.
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