Successive govts lowered dignity of J&K assembly: Sheikh Abdul Rashid

The MLA was reacting to Pakistan's denial of an invitation to J&K assembly speaker for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union in Islamabad

J&K Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid today accused the Mufti Sayeed government for "lowering the dignity of state assembly" and asked the Chief Minister to introspect on why Pakistan denied an invitation to the assembly speaker.

"The Indian state and our assembly should think for itself that we have lowered the dignity of the assembly. When this assembly hasn't ever talked on Kashmir issue, then not just Pakistan, no one would take this assembly seriously," he told reporters at a rally here.

The MLA was reacting to Pakistan's denial of an invitation to Jammu and Kashmir assembly speaker for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union in Islamabad.

He said the successive governments in the state and the Centre had lowered the dignity of the House.

"When autonomy resolution was brought in the assembly, it was rejected. A resolution on (parliament attack convict who was hanged in 2013) Afzal Guru was rejected. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu assembly brought a resolution (on Rajiv Gandhi's killers) and got it passed.

"From (former chief minister) Farooq Abdullah to (present chief minister) Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, all have a hand in lowering the dignity of this assembly," he said.

Rashid asked Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed to introspect rather than blame Pakistan for their line of thinking on the state assembly.

"The (ruling) PDP, which is feeling the heat over Pakistan's denial of an invitation to J-K speaker, should first introspect. We do not need Pakistan's certificate, but it is a reality that you (government) yourselves have lowered the dignity of the assembly," the legislator said.