Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 13: Even as the lawmakers from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party -Bharatiya Janta Party coalition have been staging protests against their own government right on the floor of the House, the unusual development is leaving the government red-faced.
For the past few days, the House has been witnessing unusual uproars, when MLAs from the ruling parties frequently locked-horns with ministers from their own camps. The same holds true for the MLCs. Observers blame it on "lack of experience for the lawmakers as most of them happen to be first-timers in the House."
On May 29, it was PDP Vs PDP on the floor of the House in the Legislative Assembly when its MLAs entered into a verbal duel over National Food Security Act (NFSA).
PDP MLA from Sonawar Muhammad Ashraf Mir took a dig at Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), Choudhary Zulfikar Ali. "It's irony that elite persons were covered under the program while the poor and marginalized ones have been left out," Mir said. Angered, Zulfikar reacted: "Let him (Ashraf Mir) speak, he has lost the Ministry."
His remarks infuriated Ashraf Mir, Abdul Majid Padder and Javaid Mustafa Mir, all the three of whom were ministers in the previous PDP-BJP government. They responded saying: "The Ministry is not inheritance of anybody's father. The Ministers are because of us (MLAs)."
Another PDP legislator, Yawar Dilawar Mir, who represents Rafiabad constituency, too slammed his own CAPD ministry over food law, saying "large number of people have been left out of the program in his constituency." A day later, MLA Javaid Mustafa Mir was equally up in arms against the government.
The BJP MLAs and MLCs are equally up in arms. On June 9, BJP MLAs including Ranbir Singh Pathania, Dinanath Bhagat and Rajiv Jasrotia protested against non implementation of the official orders and sought answer from the government. Just a day ahead of this, BJP MLA Sukhnandan Kumar staged a walk out from the House in protest against no reply of his questions.
On June 10, ruling BJP MLCs- Ramesh Arora, Ashok Khajuria and Vibodh Gupta- created uproar in the Upper House.
"Banning Abhinav Gupt yatra is like banning Baba Nund Reshi," BJP MLC Ramesh Arora said.
The trio calmed down only when the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh intervened.
While this washing of dirty linen has left the government red-faced, observers said it was more of lack of experience and coordination in the twin-parties.
"See most of these lawmakers who gave vent to anger are first timers, may be they lack requisite exposure on how the business runs and how lawmakers from the ruling parties are supposed to behave," said a political observer.
He said there was a need of counseling for lawmakers from both the parties on how they should behave. "Otherwise this all will set a bad precedence," observers cautioned.
But both the PDP and BJP are satisfied with the behavior their lawmakers. A top PDP-leader said there was no wrong in the behavior of their lawmakers. "Such incidents do happen," he said.
Similar were views of BJP leaders. "See this is democracy and these things do happen," said a BJP leader. |
