J&K govt defends adjourning of assembly after ruckus

Defending the Speaker's decision to adjourn the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly sine die following a ruckus, Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today blamed the Opposition for not being interested in continuation of the legislature as "they had no issues to raise".
"The business in the assembly was almost over. There were some routine matters but the way opposition created ruckus, attacked employees in which a marshal was injured and furniture was damaged, it looked like the opposition was not interested in continuation of the assembly because they had no issues," Singh told reporters here.
Both Houses of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature were yesterday adjourned sine die seven days ahead of schedule as some opposition members created commotion by uprooting mikes and furniture, seeking clarification from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti over her remark on Article 370.

The opposition led by NC MLA Omar Abdullah sought clarification from Speaker Kavinder Gupta as to when the chief minister would come to the House and issue a statement to clarify her stand on Article 370.
Mehbooba had on January 30 said in the Lower House that anybody weakening Article 370 will be doing the "biggest anti-national act".
Gupta maintained he had gone through the records and the CM did not mean what was attributed to her.

On this, the Opposition resorted to protests and anti-government sloganeering and pandemonium prevailed, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House.
"We told them that this (PDP-BJP alliance) is a governance alliance and if you have any issues on governance raise them and highlight the shortcomings. But the way the situation developed, the speaker took this decision," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

He alleged that attempts are being made to polarise the people of the state over the issue of Article 370 of the Constitution.
"Attempts are being made to polarise (people). Everyone knows the BJP stand on Article 370 of the constitution and everyone knows what issues PDP has. We have discussed everything on the basis of Agenda of Alliance that is why we took three months to form the government," he said.
Singh said the PDP-BJP alliance will focus on governance by keeping such issues aside.
"We have maintained that these issues would be kept aside and we will focus on giving people a good and transparent government which could work for the development and we have the mandate for it. If there is a discussion on it, then people will also feel good," he said.