BJP, NPP MLAs stage walkout from J-K Assembly

Jugal Kishore and Ashok Khajuria of BJP staged a walkout from the house when the government did not respond to the former's plea for taking steps for welfare of deaf and dumb population of the state.

"My conscience does not allow me to stay here as the government is ignoring these under-privileged people," Kishore said as he and Khajuria walked out.

NPP Legislator Balwant Mankotia staged a walkout on the issue of future of volunteers of Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK). He was demanding a statement from the government as to why some of the volunteers were still engaged while the majority of the 800 volunteers, appointed two years ago, have been relieved.

At the start of the house proceedings, another NPP member Yashpaul Kundal tore the business papers and threw them into the well of the house, demanding reservation for Scheduled Castes in the Block Development Council polls, scheduled to be held next month.

Kundal, however, resumed his seat after the Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone informed him that there was no provision for reservations for SCs in the state Panchayati Raj Act.

Kundal was supported by senior NPP MLA Harsh Dev Singh who demanded to know why the government cannot amend the Act to bring in reservations in Block Development Councils for the SC.

"If there can be reservation in Panchayats, in the assembly and the Parliament, Why not in the Block Development Councils?" he asked.

He said it was an injustice to the Scheduled Caste community of the state whose numbers he claimed was close to 11 lakh.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar asked the MLAs to raise their concerns during the discussion on the Panchayats, which was scheduled to be held later in the day.