Date:04/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/04/stories/2006080405101700.htm

National

Uproar over suspension, J&K House adjourned

Our Special Correspondent

We have lost faith in Speaker: NC leader

Suspension "undemocratic"

Ruling coalition, opposition fail to reach agreement

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday witnessed uproar over the suspension of Shariefuddin Shariq of the National Conference, forcing Speaker Tara Chand to adjourn the House for the whole day.

As it assembled, NC members led by their leader Abdur

Raheem Rather were on their feet demanding that Wednesday's "undemocratic" suspension be revoked. Mr. Rather said the Speaker violated rules while admitting the motion of the ruling coalition to suspend the member for the rest of the session. "It is the members of the ruling party, and not Mr. Shariq, who were obstructing the proceedings," he said.

The Speaker asked the NC members to take their seats but they refused, resulting in an adjournment for 10 minutes. The efforts of the ruling coalition and the Opposition to reach an agreement in the chambers of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad failed. The Speaker resumed the proceedings after two hours but sloganeering continued and the House was adjourned for the day.

Office of profit

Later speaking to reporters, Mr. Rather alleged that the Speaker was partisan. Mr. Shariq, he said, had written to him on the first day of the session demanding that the four ruling coalition MLAs be disqualified for holding offices of profit. When a Bill on the subject was moved on Wednesday, Mr. Shariq was not allowed to speak.