SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Opposition MLASajad Lone walked out of the J&K assembly Tuesday objecting to the words “J&K UT” ( Union Territory ) in the first bill brought and passed by the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference (NC) govt, saying it endorsed the “catastrophic event” of Article 370’s abrogation. Peoples Conference member Lone was joined by PDP MLA Waheed Parra, who argued that the bill to “normalises the Aug 5 (2019) changes by putting a stamp” on them. CM Omar asserted that J&K was a “UT, whether we like it or not” and would remain so “until Parliament gives us back our statehood”.
“Therefore, let us not do politics over something like this,” the chief minister said. Sometime after Lone left, the assembly witnessed chaotic scenes after leader of opposition, BJP’s Sunil Sharma, demanded a response from the govt on demands for regularisation of protesting daily wagers working in the PHE department for a long time. Upset with deputy CM Surinder Choudhary’s answer that BJP had failed to resolve the issue in the last decade, all saffron party MLAs walked out.
The standoff with Lone occurred when the govt introduced the bill to amend J&K Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act. “Did they ask the assembly when Article 370 was abrogated, when Article 35A was abrogated? Why are they asking the assembly now to passively endorse what will eventually be interpreted by history as an active endorsement of the act of relegating J&K to a UT,” Lone contended. Laun.