Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Adjourned Amid Uproar Over Waqf Act
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed a tumultuous session on Monday, as the Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, denied an adjournment motion on the Waqf Act, leading to a massive uproar among the members. The House was eventually adjourned as the pandemonium continued to intensify.
The drama unfolded when the National Conference (NC) MLAs moved a motion to adjourn the Question Hour to discuss the Waqf Act, which has been a contentious issue in the state. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs strongly opposed the move, demanding that the Question Hour be held as scheduled.
The Waqf Act, which was passed in 2019, aims to regulate and manage the Waqf properties in the state. However, the NC has been vocal about its opposition to the Act, claiming that it is unconstitutional and violates the rights of the Waqf board. The party has also accused the BJP-led government of trying to amend the Act without consulting the stakeholders.
The NC MLAs, led by the party’s president, Farooq Abdullah, stormed the well of the House, demanding that the Speaker allow a discussion on the Waqf Act. They shouted slogans and waved placards, claiming that the Act is a threat to the state’s autonomy and the rights of the Muslim community.
The BJP MLAs, on the other hand, argued that the Waqf Act is a necessary step to ensure the proper management of the Waqf properties, which are worth billions of rupees. They claimed that the NC is opposing the Act simply because they do not want to let the government take control of the Waqf properties.
The Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, tried to intervene, but his efforts were met with strong resistance from both sides. He denied the adjournment motion, citing that the House had already discussed the Waqf Act earlier and that there was no need to discuss it again.
The BJP MLAs, however, were not satisfied with the Speaker’s decision and continued to protest. They demanded that the Question Hour be held, and if the Speaker did not allow it, they would take the matter to the Governor.
The situation in the House became so intense that the police had to be called in to maintain order. The Assembly was eventually adjourned, but not before the pandemonium continued to rage on.
The Waqf Act has been a contentious issue in the state for several years now, with both the NC and the BJP having their own versions of the Act. The NC has been demanding that the Act be repealed, while the BJP has been pushing for its implementation.
The recent developments in the Assembly are likely to further polarize the political landscape in the state. The NC has accused the BJP of trying to impose its will on the state, while the BJP has claimed that the NC is opposing the Act simply because they do not want to let the government take control of the Waqf properties.
The Waqf Act is not the only issue that has been causing tension in the state. The BJP has been pushing for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state, which has been met with strong resistance from the NC and other opposition parties.
The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to remain tense in the coming days, as the political parties continue to spar over the Waqf Act and other issues. The state has been under the governor’s rule since 2018, and the political parties have been demanding that the government be restored.
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