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| Farooq's "Maha Chor" remarks mar proceedings in LA | | Opposition seeks apology from NC | | Bashir Assad
SRINAGAR, Mar 3: The State Legislative Assembly today witnessed complete pandemonium as the main opposition party PDP demanded an apology from Dr Farooq Abdullah over his "maha chor" remarks which the opposition thought was an insult to the people of the state. "Kashmiri chor nahi, mahachor hain" (Kashmiris are not just thieves but biggest thieves), Dr. Farooq Abdullah NC president and Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy had reportedly said on Sunday while speaking at a function organized by his Ministry in New Delhi. Abdullah reportedly made the controversial remarks in New Delhi on Sunday, while commenting on the poor state of Power in Jammu and Kashmir.
As soon as the House met here today for transaction of normal business Mehbooba Mufti, president of the opposition PDP, led the protest in the Assembly against Abdullah's remarks. "How can the National Conference (NC) be so shameless? They are the patrons of corruption in the state and they are calling Kashmiris thieves. It is outright shameless," Mehbooba Mufti said amid din.
However, Speaker Mubarak Gul didn't allow the opposition members to raise the issue while quoting rules that a person who is not a Member of this House and who cannot defend himself in the House cannot be discussed in the House. The opposition members were soon on their feet, drawing the Speaker's attention towards Farooq Abdullah's statement and sought an apology from him. They also sought adjournment of question hour to discuss the issue. The Speaker's repeated requests that the Union Minister is not a member of the House fell on deaf ears as angry PDP legislator Sayed Basharat Bukhari followed by other members stormed into the well of the House, raising slogans against Abdullah. Though the Speaker continued with the question hour, nothing was audible in the commotion caused by the agitating opposition members.
Amid sloganeering by PDP members, Rural Development Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar defended Abdullah saying he never meant to deride all Kashmiris. "He only meant the lower staff is instrumental in power theft," Sagar said in the House, but PDP MLAs continued to raise slogans for over half an hour, and later staged a walk out from the House. However, before leaving the house, some of them had heated exchanges with Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone and National Congress MLA Surjeet Singh Slathia. Later, PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti while coming heavily on Dr. Abdullah told reporters that he had insulted the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "Instead of admitting the failures of his Government in J&K, Farooq has put the blame squarely on the people who elected him and has insulted them," Mehbooba said.
She accused Abdullah family of being habitual of 'degrading' people of Kashmir within and outside the state.
"Both Omar and Farooq Abdullah have several times termed people of Kashmir as thieves; sometimes they label them Lashkar militants, drug addicts and what not," said Mehbooba. "How can the National Conference (NC) be so shameless? They are the patrons of corruption in the state and they are calling Kashmiris thieves. It is outrightly shameless," Mehbooba said. |
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