Jammu, Apr 7: The J&K Legislative Assembly Monday witnessed absolute pandemonium over the Waqf Amendment Bill, forcing adjournment of the House, twice for specific periods and then finally for the day.
Ruckus erupted after the Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather disallowed the adjournment notices of nine members seeking discussion on the matter (Waqf Amendment Bill).
Religious slogans also rent the air amid clash and chaotic scenes which marked the proceedings throughout till the House was adjourned for the day without transacting any business.
Disorder was the order of the day right from the word ‘Go’ on Monday when the House met after a 12-day long recess in the ongoing budget session.
As soon as the House met for day’s proceedings, National Conference MLA Tanvir Sadiq rose to point out that he along with other members had moved the adjournment notices demanding discussion on Waqf Amendment Act, recently passed by the Parliament.
Besides Tanvir, adjournment motions were moved by NC MLAs Altaf Kaloo, Qaiser Jamshed Lone, Aijaz Jan, Sajjad Shaheen; AAP MLA Mehraj Malik; Congress MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat; independent MLA Muzaffar Iqbal Khan and AIP MLA Sheikh Khursheed.
All the NC, Congress, PDP and independent members too were up, seeking suspension of the listed business of the day to allow discussion on the matter.
BJP members too rose to counter them. However, the Speaker quoted Rule 58 to reject adjournment motions. He specified that under sub rule 7 of Rule 58 (of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the J&K Legislative Assembly) dealing with adjournment motions, sub judice issues could not be discussed in the House.
However, PDP’s Waheed Para stated that it was discussed in the Tamil Nadu assembly.
Rather said that when it was discussed in the Tamil Nadu assembly, the matter was not sub judice. With this ruling, he disallowed the motions.
Following it, all NC, Congress, PDP and independent members tried to enter the well, amid slogans “Waqf Bill Namanzoor”. BJP members too raised counter slogans.
As the uproar continued and the protesting members did not relent despite the Chair’s repeated directions, the Speaker adjourned the House for 15 minutes at 10.22 am.
This was the first-ever adjournment – the House witnessed during the ongoing budget session, which began on March 3, 2025.
After 15 minutes, when the House reassembled at 10.42 am, similar scenes prevailed.
Chaos intensified when NC, Congress and PDP members along with independents tried to enter the well amid slogans. They were also seen tearing papers and tossing them around.
Some of the protesting members perched atop desks amid sloganeering “Waqf Bill Wapis Karo”, “BJP Ki Tanashahi Nahin Chalegi” and counter slogans by BJP members, who too were up on their feet.
“NC-Congress Hai Hai; Chor Chor Mausere Bhai” and “BJP Hai Hai” rent the air. During this absolute disorder, Question Hour ended at 11 am.
Speaker A R Rather asked the members to go to their seats and tell him what they wanted.
NC’s Nazir Gurezi said, “Speaker Sir, for us, our religion is supreme. We can sacrifice anything, even our lives for it. An assault is underway on our mosques and our religion. This is intolerable. We want nothing but discussion on the Waqf Amendment Bill. If you don’t allow discussion, we will not allow proceedings.”
Many other members from both sides were saying something but they were not audible in the din.
In between the Secretary Legislative Assembly read the notice vis-a-vis assent of the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to three bills, including Appropriation Bills, passed by the House on March 25.
As the uproar persisted, the Speaker again adjourned the House for 20 minutes at 11.09 am – the second adjournment of the day.
However, instead of 20 minutes, the House reassembled at 1.15 pm.
The members from both sides were up on their feet as usual. NC’s Qaiser Jamshed Lone stated that many assemblies had passed resolutions on this matter. “We too should be allowed to discuss it. This relates to our religion and is a very important matter for us,” Lone said.
Independent MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay too spoke on similar lines yet he was not audible in the din.
BJP members, who too were standing, objected to their demand for discussion on the matter.
Once again sloganeering pitched high with a mish-mash of patriotic and religious slogans. This time “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”; “Vande Mataram”; “Naara-e-Tadbeer, Allah-o-Akbar” and “Jai Shri Ram” rent the air.
Protesting members from treasury benches, PDP and independents again tried to enter the well yet they were stopped near the reporters’ table by a “wall of marshals and LA security staff.”
Papers were also torn and flung around by the protesting members.
At this moment, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary tried to intervene, requesting the chair to allow the protesting members to speak. “Speaker Sir, they have been protesting since morning. I request you to allow them to speak. Let them speak, what is the harm,” he said.
The Speaker said that he would listen to them only if the protesting members took their seats. But this suggestion by the Deputy CM irked BJP members, who too started shouting.
During this melee, the House also saw a clash between a few members of treasury benches and BJP MLAs after Congress’ Irfan Lone proceeded towards BJP benches with a black band and a paper with slogans written on it.
BJP’s Arvind Gupta, Satish Sharma and Vikram Randhawa protested and tried to snatch paper and band which led to a scuffle. Other members from both sides intervened to broker peace.
The Deputy Chief Minister again interjected, saying, “It was in the best spirit of the Indian Constitution to listen to each other’s points even if the other side does not approve the viewpoint.”
A few ruling alliance members along with PDP and independent legislators tried to enter the well while tearing and tossing papers. They reached the reporters’ table yet the marshals did not allow them to proceed further.
As disorder and sloganeering persisted, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day at 1.24 pm.
