Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 8 : As the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly continued to witness uproar over the Waqf Amendment Act, Awami Ittehad Party MLA Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh on Tuesday accused the ruling National Conference of having a "fixed match" with the BJP.
"This is a fixed match between the BJP and the NC. The Leader of the House is not here in the assembly; he is busy welcoming the BJP leaders in Tulip Garden," Sheikh told ANI.
Following chaos that erupted in the Assembly for the second day in a row over demands to discuss the Waqf Amendment Act, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the House till 1 PM.
"The house proceedings are being affected here. Some members of the National Conference are accusing the Speaker of being partial. Some 5-6 members have moved a no-confidence motion. If NC is sincere, they should come and sign... 7 important resolutions had to be discussed and passed," the Awami Ittehad Party MLA said.
"We moved a no-confidence motion against the Speaker. We want to know the intentions of the Speaker. If they (NC) are sincere, if they want a debate on the Waqf Bill, and if they want the 7 resolutions to be tabled, they should change the Speaker," he added.
Earlier, several MLAs, including those from the ruling National Conference party, had demanded a discussion on the recently passed reforms to the Waqf Board. The Mehbooba Mufti-led People's Democratic Party had also moved a resolution urging the Central government to repeal the Act. However, that resolution was not voted on earlier today.
Earlier on Monday, the National Conference MLA had torn the bill reforming the Waqf Board in the House.
Today, PDP MLA Waheed Para and other MLAs of the party reached the Well of the House, showing some papers on their resolution. Following this, they were marshalled out. NC leaders, who had also reached the Well of the House, entered into an argument with J&K People's Conference chief Sajad Lone.
In turn, the JKPC president, Sajad Lone, attacked the National Conference-led government, claiming that the party should remove the speaker they appointed so that a discussion on the Waqf Act could take place in the Assembly.
Lone said that the NC MLAs' demand for a discussion "reeks of theatre," as the party's own Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, had denied discussions on the Waqf Bill under Rule 58.
"We, too, want that there should be a resolution. J&K is the only Muslim-majority province in the entire country. Muslims of India deserve that a strong message be sent from here. But for that, the Speaker is not ready. The Speaker has been elected by the NC. If they are serious, they should bring a no-confidence motion against him, remove him and bring in a new Speaker who would allow this," Sajad Lone told reporters.
NC MLA Altaf Kaloo had moved an adjournment motion and sought time to speak in the House, but the Speaker did not respond.