After protests over Sayeed comments, Lok Sabha sees peace

The Lok Sabha resumed normal business Tuesday after a second day of protests sparked by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's comments crediting Pakistan and militants for the state's peaceful elections.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said the government decision to disassociate itself from Sayeed's remarks and the appreciation of the work done by the security forces and the Election Commission must be seen as "the sense of the house".

Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier said the government did not agree with Sayeed's assessment that Pakistan, militants and the Hurriyat Conference had facilitated the Kashmir elections of November-December 2014.

"The chief minister made a statement and several members raised questions. I made it clear yesterday that our government and (our) party completely dissociates from the remarks. There is no question of welcoming such remarks," Rajnath Singh said.

He said the credit for the peaceful elections in the troubled state, which on Sunday got a PDP-BJP coalition government, went to the poll panel, the army, the paramilitary forces and the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"I think the whole house agrees with this. There is no question of endorsing the (chief minister;s) remarks," Rajnath Singh said.

As opposition MPs appeared dissatisfied, Naidu said the home minister had made a statement. "This is the sense of the house. Let us move forward."

After Naidu's remarks, the house resumed its normal functioning and went ahead with the question hour.

Sayeed's controversial remarks, made during a press conference after he took oath of office Sunday, disrupted the Lok Sabha Monday too.

Earlier Tuesday, th house was adjourned twice over demand by the Congress and other opposition parties for a resolution over Sayeed's remarks. They also sought a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The house was first adjourned till 11.30 a.m. and then till 11.45 a.m.

A group of PDP legislators stoked another row Monday by saying the constitutional process was not followed while hanging parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, who hailed from the Kashmir Valley.

The Peoples Democratic Party legislators also demanded the return of the mortal remains of Afzal Guru from New Delhi's Tihar Central Jail.

Afzal Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013 on charges of facilitating terrorists to attack the Indian parliament house in 2011.