Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Adjourned Amid Uproar Over Waqf Act
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday witnessed a massive uproar after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather denied an adjournment motion on the Waqf Act, following which the House was adjourned. The National Conference MLAs had moved a motion to adjourn the Question Hour to discuss the Waqf Act, which has been a contentious issue in the region. However, the BJP also protested and demanded that the Question Hour be held, leading to a heated debate in the Assembly.
The Waqf Act, which was passed in 2013, aims to regulate and manage the Waqf properties in the state. However, the opposition parties, including the National Conference and the Congress, have been criticizing the Act, saying it gives too much power to the government and is against the interests of the Waqf institutions. The opposition parties have been demanding that the Act be repealed and a new law be framed to ensure the transparency and accountability of the Waqf institutions.
The National Conference MLAs, led by Omar Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, moved a motion to adjourn the Question Hour to discuss the Waqf Act. However, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather denied the motion, saying that the issue had already been discussed in the Assembly and there was no need to discuss it again.
This move by the Speaker did not go down well with the National Conference MLAs, who protested and demanded that the motion be accepted. The BJP MLAs, on the other hand, supported the Speaker’s decision and demanded that the Question Hour be held as scheduled.
The debate in the Assembly turned heated, with both sides exchanging heated words. The National Conference MLAs accused the BJP of trying to suppress the truth and not allowing the House to discuss the Waqf Act. The BJP MLAs, on the other hand, accused the National Conference of trying to politicize the issue and disrupt the House.
The Speaker’s decision to deny the adjournment motion was seen as a blow to the National Conference, which has been demanding that the Waqf Act be repealed. The party had been hoping to use the Assembly session to raise the issue and put pressure on the government to reconsider the Act.
The BJP, on the other hand, was happy with the Speaker’s decision and saw it as a victory for the party. The party has been supporting the Waqf Act and has been accusing the opposition parties of trying to disrupt the House.
The adjournment of the House has put a damper on the proceedings of the Assembly, which was scheduled to discuss several important issues, including the budget and the state’s economic situation. The House was adjourned for the day, and it is likely to reconvene tomorrow.
The Waqf Act has been a contentious issue in Jammu and Kashmir for several years, with both sides having strong views on the matter. The government has been accused of trying to take control of the Waqf institutions and use them for its own purposes, while the opposition parties have been accusing the government of trying to suppress the truth and not allowing the House to discuss the issue.
The issue has also been taken up by several civil society organizations, which have been demanding that the government repeal the Waqf Act and frame a new law to ensure the transparency and accountability of the Waqf institutions. The organizations have been accusing the government of trying to use the Waqf institutions for its own purposes and not allowing them to function independently.
In conclusion, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s decision to adjourn amid uproar over the Waqf Act highlights the deep divisions within the House. The opposition parties have been demanding that the Act be repealed, while the government has been supporting it. The debate on the issue is likely to continue, and it remains to be seen how the government will address the concerns of the opposition parties.
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