Uproar in J&K Houses over civilian killings in Valley, Opposition stages walkout

People offer funeral prayers for civilians killed in the violence in Srinagar. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi/File)

Pressing respective presiding officers to adjourn listed business during question hour in order to discuss civilian killings in Kashmir Valley, opposition on Wednesday raised their voices and staged walk out from the State Legislative Assembly and State Legislative Council.

The Legislative Council, Chairman Haji Anayat Ali adjourned the House for five minutes after members of opposition started storming the well of the house as soon as the question hour began. Resuming the question hour, members of opposition started raising slogans against state government and kept standing on their benches.

Continuing the protest, they later entered the well of the House where they again raised slogans. Ignored by the Chairman, the opposition Congress and National Conference (NC) members walked out of the House nearly 10 minutes before culmination of the question hour.

Meanwhile, in the Legislative Assembly, as the House assembled, National Conference,  Congress,  CPI(M)  and others opposition members were on their seats drawing Speaker’s attention towards the adjournment motion moved by them over the issue of civilian killings in the Valley.

The adjournment motion was disallowed by Speaker Kavinder Gupta stating that the opposition can raise all these issues during discussion on motion of thanks to Governor’s address. The Speaker’s plea was strongly protested by the Opposition benches and they started a ruckus.

Later they even entered into the well of the House to press adjournment of the listed business. The noisy scenes continued during the entire question hour and just before its culmination, opposition members staged walk out.