J-K legislature rocked by Opposition protests over beef

Opposition protests over beef ban and other issues today rocked the Jammu and Kashmir legislature with banner-waving MLAs of NC and Congress storming the well, climbing tables and clashing with marshals in the Assembly, leaving a lawmaker and a security staff injured.
National Conference (NC) raised the issue of beef ban in both the legislative assembly and the legislative council with its leader Omar Abdullah questioning why the PDP-BJP Government approached the Supreme Court when the legislature is "free" to scrap the 1932 provision in the Ranbir Penal Code prohibiting cow slaughter.
The protests, which led to adjournment of both houses for the day, started after the chair in the Assembly and the Council disallowed motions moved by NC seeking suspension of Question Hour over beef ban issue and also by Congress for a discussion on rehabilitation of flood victims and imposition of service tax on helicopter services for Vaishnodevi pilgrims.

As Speaker Kavinder Gupta continued with the business of the house, several opposition MLAs jumped into the well and raised banners which read 'Stop exploiting flood victims' and 'Revoke tax on religious pilgrims'. The NC members raised slogans against the beef ban and what they termed as "interference in religious matters".
A few MLAs jostled with the marshals who stopped them from charging towards the treasury benches and the chair. Congress MLA from Bandipora Usman Abdul Majeed was injured along with a marshal who was carried out by his colleagues as he was writhing in pain.
Chaos prevailed as the agitated lawmakers climbed on the tables in front of the Speaker, falling over each other in the melee. Two MLAs of the National Conference -- Abdul Majid Larmi and Ishfaq Sheikh -- were marshalled out of the House.

The NC and Congress members were joined by independent MLAs Shiekh Abdul Rashid and Hakim Mohammad Yasin in the protest.

The opposition MLAs tore papers as they raised slogans against the PDP-BJP coalition government.
The National Conference, CPI(M) and Rashid have submitted separate bills seeking revocation of the provision that criminalises cow slaughter in the state.
Omar said they were protesting against the "dictatorial practices" of the Speaker, who had earlier said that he would not allow any such bill.
"Today, unfortunately, our protest was against the dictatorial practices of the Speaker. Why is this Chief Minister so keen to not only disempower himself put also the legislature," the former Chief Minister told reporters.

The developments came on a day the Supreme Court asked Chief Justice of J-K high Court to set up a three-judge bench to resolve the issue of ban on beef. It also suspended for two months the order of the state high court on enforcement of ban on beef.
The state government had approached apex court against two "conflicting" orders of the High Court pertaining to provision on slaughter of bovine animals and ban on beef sale in the state, claiming these were being "misused" to disturb peace in the state.