A jinxed assembly complex?

Ghulam Nabi Azad had to prove his majority in the house after his coalition partner Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) withdrew the support over the Amarnath forest land row. Incidentally it was the first day of the House in the new assembly complex that was under construction since 1981. Azad tendered his resignation ahead of the vote of confidence on the floor of the State Assembly. “I do not wish to put my friends in trouble whose heart is somewhere else and their party whip is somewhere else,” Azad said in the house before resigning.

July 27,2009: PDP President Mehbooba Mufti assaults speaker

On the first day of assembly session in Srinagar the PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti attacked the speaker Mohammad Akber Lone and attacked him with a mic. The trouble started when Mehbooba stood up right at the outset of the session and wanted to raise Shopian issue. The Speaker disallowed this saying the day was meant exclusively for the obituary references. The speaker later called upon the marshals to throw out the PDP legislators. When Mehbooba protested,he directed the marshals to throw her out too. Soon after Mehbooba went towards him and assaulted him. “It was childish on part of Mehbooba,” Speaker Lone said after the attack.

July 28,2009: Omar Abdullah resigns

The 38 year old Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resigned after he was accused by the former deputy Chief Minister and senior PDP leader Muzzaffar Beigh of being involved in Srinagar sex scandal. On this allegation CM Omar said that he submit his resignation. “The fact is,and it is also the requirement of law that a person is innocent until proven guilty. However,while this may be true in case of crimes like theft,robbery but in my case the reverse is the true. The allegation that has been leveled against me makes me guilty until proven innocent. Even if this allegation is expunged from the records,or it is investigated by the home department,nothing will happen. I will not be able to work” Omar said. “So,I will meet the Governor Sahib and submit my resignation”.

The new assembly complex which now looks jinxed for the top politicians of the J &K was a dream project for the former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. This ambitious project of the new assembly complex was initiated and its foundation was laid by the then Chief Minister late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on September 28,1981 with the original cost of Rs.6.8 crores. The work on the complex was stopped only after two years.

The work was again resumed in 1997 and it stopped in 1998 after spending additional Rs 6 crore.

A decision for taking up the construction of complex was taken by then CM Azad in September,2007. The work was completed with the cost of Rs. 37 crore in record nine months. This contemporary state-of-the-art building accommodates both the Houses and after its inauguration,the first day of Assembly saw the resignation of Azad.