OPPOSITION SUSPENDED, PARALLEL ASSEMBLY IN J&K

JAMMU: In an unprecedented event the 15 suspended opposition members of legislative assembly installed a parallel assembly on 6th April and conducted the proceedings. 15 Assembly members of BJP, Congress and Janta Dal were expelled for the rest of the session for their strong protest against the price hike as a result of annual budget. The agitated assembly members trooped to well of the house and demanded a statement from Chief MInister Farooq Abdullah on recent price hike as the state was observing a complete bandh against budget.

The opposition members shouted slogans 'Taxes Khatam Karo, Jammu Ke Logon Ko Sharabi Banana Bandh Karo and Back Door Appointments Bandh Karo'. As pandamonium prevailed, Mr PL Handoo, Parliamentary Affairs Minister moved a resolution for expulsion of the members which was carried by the house (NC members). Speaker ordered marshals to remove the agitated suspended members and in the melle leader of opposition, who happens to be the senior most member of Assembly, collapsed and Ashok Khajuria and Ch Piara Singh of

BJP and Harsh Dev Singh of Panthers Party were injured. The opposition members who approached High Court for revocation of orders described their expulsion as 'dictatorship and murder of democracy'.

The members described expulsion as 'illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional'. 'It is dictatorship and murder of democracy', said Mehbooba Mufti. Mr Ashok Khajuria of BJP described the event as 'a black day in the history of Indian democracy'. Mr Harsh Dev Singh of Panthers party who filed the petition agaisnt expulsion said that their expulsion was a well planned strategy of frustrated National Conference government to silence the voice of opposition.

While Farooq Abdullah asked opposition to apologise otherwise remain out of house, the suspended opposition members, who were not allowed to enter the assembly, installed a parallel assembly and appointed Harsh Dev Singh as Chief Minister. They continued the proceedings for two consecutive days and announced the withdrawal of all taxes imposed by Farooq government, recovery of sales tax from Housing Minister Ansari and cancellation of all backdoor appointments. The house revoked the expulsion of opposition members on April 7 and subsequently the opposition members joined the house.

It may be recalled that the house witnessed turmoil several times over the issue of backdoor appointments, sales tax recovery of Ansari, opening of more liqour shops in Jammu region and anti people budget. Surprisingly welfare minister Mr Altaf and Rural Development Minister Mr Rather admitted backdoor, and irregularities in appointments in the house. Admitting backdoor appointments in social welfare department Mr Altaf said that he was under pressure from opposition members to appoint their kins in the department Mr Rahim Rather also admitted that 2 matriculates have been appointed as Managers in Land Development bank