Jammu, Feb 25: Speaker, Legislative Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather Tuesday cautioned media persons against inclination to focus more on hullabaloo than serious legislative business during coverage of House proceedings. In a reiteration, he also warned of action against those MLAs who, he said, “were flouting Rules of Procedure and conduct of Business in the J&K Legislative Assembly by publicising notice(s) before it was admitted by the Speaker and circulated to members.”
He (Speaker) was interacting with the media ahead of the maiden budget session of Omar Abdullah-led government, commencing from March 3.
Rather exhorted the media persons to give precedence to hard working, disciplined MLAs and legislative deliberations and not those indulging in uproar and causing disruption while covering House proceedings during ensuing budget session.
“Media is an intermediary or interface between the government and the public. Thus it (media) also shares a crucial responsibility of highlighting public issues with balanced and responsible reporting. Same is expected of you as you perform professional duties during the ensuing budget session while ensuring transparency with a singular focus on public awareness of legislative discussions,” he stated.
“This will be in the interest of healthy democratic traditions in the House and will encourage the serious legislators for whom the public interests are paramount; those who work hard; follow rules and perform their constitutional duties with sincerity. Recent trend to focus more on pandemonium gives extensive coverage to those indulging in disruptions yet it defeats the basic purpose of House proceedings. House is a forum for MLAs to make government accountable,” Speaker asserted, while referring to his own experience, spanning 40-45 years, as a legislator for whom public interests always remained paramount and they (public issues) found mention in his deliberations in a disciplined manner. “Bottom line is that no issue gets resolved through uproar and legislative business is serious business,” Rather said.
Pointing towards another major area of concern, the Speaker took exception to the practice of certain MLAs giving publicity to their notices in violation of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. In this connection, he particularly mentioned the PDP MLAs and their party President.
“I had objected to improprieties and breaches of Rules and conventions in the form of premature publicity to the notices of questions, adjournment motions, resolutions, answers to questions and other related business of the House. But Mehboobaji (PDP president) accused me of imposing martial law. This is not correct. I’m strictly citing rules,” Rather said, while quoting Rule 368 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the J&K Legislative Assembly; Rule 334-A of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and commentaries on practice and procedure of Parliament by renowned authorities.
“I could have taken action but I thought this was for the first time and many legislators won’t be aware of legislative rules and practices. So I just shared my displeasure and thought it proper to forewarn. But action under rules will be taken if such practices (flouting of rules) continue,” Speaker warned.
