Walkout by MLCs over ‘discriminatory’ attitude of acting chairman

Legislative Council in Session
Walkout by MLCs over ‘discriminatory’ attitude of acting chairman
Archit Watts /TNS

Jammu, April 2
Charging the acting chairman of the Upper House with adopting a discriminatory attitude towards opposition members, PDP leader Murtaza Ahmad Khan staged walkout twice from the House, while Panthers Party legislator Mohammad Rafiq Shah and Congress legislator Haji Ali Mohammad Bhat also walked out during the thanksgiving address before the conclusion of the ongoing Budget session.

Showing his anger over non-listing of a few of his issues, the PDP legislator staged a walkout at the beginning of Question Hour.

He said, “I had requested to list two important issues in the business of the House, but they are nowhere. This is discriminatory and I will stage a walkout”. Murtaza added, “The son of a Member of Parliament has been provided a government job out of the way, which should have been discussed in the House”.

The acting chairman, Arvinder Singh Micky, did not allow him, due to which he trooped into the well of the House and staged a walkout. However, he came back to attend the proceedings after a few minutes.

Highlighting the issue of encroachment of a graveyard’s land in the Rehari area by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), he again staged a walkout.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar called him back and assured him that the matter would be looked into. Meanwhile, a few minutes before the conclusion of the Budget session, Shah, the lone legislator of the Panthers Party in the Upper House, staged a walkout.