What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
SRINAGAR: On the inaugural session of the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Assembly, legislators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) introduced a proposal opposing the repeal of Article 370 and the modifications instituted by the J&K Reorganisation Act of 2019.
The resolution was tabled by Waheed Ur Rehman Para (MLA, Pulwama), Fayaz Mir (MLA, Kupwara), and Mohd Rafiq (MLA, Tral). They submitted the motion to Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, seeking its inclusion in the agenda for debate.
Despite the session’s agenda being previously set, PDP members appealed to the Speaker, emphasizing that the proposal reflects the prevailing sentiments among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The motion seeks a full reversal of the changes to the region’s special status, urging the restoration of its original constitutional safeguards.
The submission sparked immediate protests from BJP members, who demanded the resolution be discarded and related statements removed from the record. Speaker Rather indicated he would examine the motion before announcing a decision, underscoring the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the issue of the region’s political status.
J&K CM Omar Abdullah said, “We knew that preparation for this was being made by a member. The reality is that the people of J&K disapprove of the decision taken on 5th August 2019. If they had approved, then the results today would have been different. How the House will reflect and discuss this will not be decided by any one member. The resolution brought today has no importance but it is only for the cameras. If there were a purpose behind it, then they would have discussed this with us before.”
This session marks Abdul Rahim Rather’s historic role as the first Speaker of the Union Territory Assembly. Previously a seven-time MLA from Charar-e-Sharief, Rather served as Speaker in the former State Assembly and as Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2008 under the PDP-Congress coalition.
As the Assembly reconvenes for a four-day session, the BJP has appointed Sunil Kumar Sharma as the head of its legislative party, making him the Leader of the Opposition.
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Meanwhile, the National Conference (NC) and Congress held separate meetings in Srinagar on Sunday, followed by a coalition gathering that included independents and CPI(M) representative Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami. The NC session was led by party head and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while the Congress was presided over by its leader Tariq Hameed Karra.
As the Assembly begins its deliberations, the response to the PDP’s resolution is awaited, setting the tone for a contentious session.
