Omar should apologize for Rana's conduct in JK Assembly: BJP

Terming NC MLA Javed Rana's statement against the speaker as being against parliamentary norms and most uncivilized conduct, BJP demanded an apology from NC Legislative Party (NCLP) leader Omar Abdullah and action against the NC member.
"BJP demanded a public apology from leader of NCLP Omar Abdullah besides seeking internal action by the National Conference against the erring MLA," BJP state Chief Spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters here today.
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly yesterday witnessed ruckus after ruling BJP and PDP members slammed NC member Javed Rana for accusing Speaker Kavinder Gupta of being "biased" and demanded action against him.

Rana on Tuesday evening in the Assembly had said, "I am denied time to speak. I have not been allowed in the House to speak on Governor's address and now on Budget. I am discriminated against. You are biased because of being..."
The Speaker had said he has allotted time to all the parties and he should talk to his party leader.
Sethi said, "The conduct of Rana in the state Assembly, wherein he directly made communal remarks against the Speaker, has happened for the first time in the history of the Assembly and hence needs to be taken seriously".

He said that whatever Rana said is not against the person of the Speaker but is a direct assault on the dignity of the Chair, which is very unfortunate and added the MLA has lowered the prestige of the House in the estimation of public.

Sethi said it is also unfortunate that Omar did not utter a single word of disapproval, much less condemnation, and has thereby "publically signaled the prevailing standard of civility of the NC Legislative Party."
He said the conduct of the MLA is also an insult to the parliamentary set up.
Sethi said that NC leaders should come out of the frustration of not being in power and conduct themselves in a positive and constructive manner inside the Assembly. They should put forth their view points in a healthy and democratic manner and contribute to the parliamentary governance in the state instead of crossing all limits of decency, he added.

He expressed hope that good sense will prevail and they will not indulge in communalizing the respectable post of Speaker of the House.