BJP demands discussion on J&K floods, walks out of Assembly

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather rose from his seat to try to keep the House running and also allowed some members of the Treasury Bench to place their questions before the House. He also told protesting BJP members that House rules do not permit an adjournment motion to be taken up after it has already been rejected once in the session.

LoP Sharma then alleged corruption in the government’s Public Works Department, and BJP members raised slogans against the Omar Abdullah government. Two BJP members, among them RS Pathania, also jumped into the Well of the House and were marshalled out. NC legislators also raised slogans against the BJP and asked the opposition party to explain their period of governance between 2014 to 2024 — first as part of the PDP-BJP alliance and then through the Lieutenant Governor in the absence of an elected government.

Continuing protests despite assurances from the Speaker that its could be taken up at the end of question hour, the BJP walked out of the Assembly. However, all BJP members except the LoP returned to the House at the beginning of Zero Hour, and government business for the day was taken up.

The House passed four legislations — including a Bill to establish an authority to regulate renting of premises and to protect the interests of landlords and tenants.

At the end of government business for the day, Speaker Rather allowed BJP members to raise their concerns on the damage caused by the August floods. BJP MLA SS Slathia brought attention to the issue of rehabilitation of flood victims in Jammu and a need for urgent action by the government ahead of winter.

On the second day of the current session, the CM had informed the house that the government has prepared a package and are set to forward it to the Centre. “As soon as we have approval from the Government of India, we will start distributing relief. No concerns of region or religion will be considered in this,” he had said then.