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| 'Rehabilitation of stone pelters' BJP, JKNPP, JSM stage walk-out | | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 17: Members of Opposition comprising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and Jammu State Morcha (JSM) today staged a walk-out from the State Legislative Assembly in protest against the State Government's proposed policy to "rehabilitate stone pelters" in Kashmir Valley and administration's reluctance to grant citizenship right to West Pakistan refugees.
As soon as the House assembled for today's proceedings this morning, all the legislators of BJP, JKNPP and JSM were on their feet and waved the copies of some local and national dailies alleging that the government is pursuing the policies of "shielding anti-social" and "anti-national" elements.
In some local and national dailies, it was reported that the government has framed a new policy for rehabilitation of youth pelting stones on security personnel in Kashmir Valley and that the decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Srinagar on January 22. According to the reports, the government has supposed to construct shops for stone pelters so that employment is provided to them.
The Opposition legislators created ruckus in the House and accused the government of "playing with democratic set up. The JKNPP MLA from Udhampur, Balwant Singh Mankotia shouted, "While the budget session is in process and Legislative Assembly is the Supreme House, the government has framed the policy without taking the House and its members into confidence. The government has made the mockery of democracy."
The Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone tried to pacify the vociferous Opposition members and asked them to raise the issue individually.
Ashok Khajuria, BJP MLA from Jammu East while referring to the statement of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, "Chief Minister had stated that the Opposition party was funding the stone pelters in Kashmir. And now the government is formulating a policy for their rehabilitation which is really unfortunate."
"The government has not initiated any action for providing jobs to lakhs of unemployed youth, rehabilitation of West Pakistan refugees," he said and remarked, "Yeh Log Jammu and Kashmir Main Aag Lagane Ja Rahe Hai."
Castigating the State government for proposed policy of rehabilitation of stone pelters, Leader of Panthers Legislature Party, Harsh Dev Singh regretted, "The government has formulated a Civil Action Programme to rehabilitate those youth who were pelting stones of security forces and the government had contemplated to book them under Public Safety Act (PSA). "
"It has been learnt that the government planned to allot shops or kiosks to the stone pelters, which is quite illogical. The Government must take decision on rational basis. There are thousands of agriculture technocrats and ITI Diploma Holders who have been demanding regularization for years together but the government has not framed any policy or programme for these people till date," he charged.
Describing the proposed policy as "against the interest of unemployed youth", JSM MLA, Ashwani Kumar Sharma said, "We are not against the people of Kashmir issue. The CM had told that 11 days old infant lost his life after these stone pelters dragged her mother from the Vehicle. If the government wants to give reward, it should appreciate the role nationalist forces in Kashmir Valley."
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, CPI (M) MLA from Kulgam took at dig at the government and said, "The Government should have taken the House into confidence before formulating the policy for rehabilitation of youth."
Condemning the cane charge on 'peaceful' protestors of West Pakistan refugees on Jammu roads, Chaman Lal Gupta said, "It is unfortunate that the Pakistani refugees, fighting for the domicile rights since 60 years, are not being settled permanently by the government but those who throw stones and shout anti-India slogans in the Valley, are being rehabilitated.''
Endorsing his party leader, Jugal Kishore Sharma of BJP said, "Instead of cane charging the peaceful protestors the government should have held discussion with them."
Amid uproar and pandemonium, the Speaker said, "They (refugees) are our guests and don't compare stone pelters with refugees. They cannot be treated as citizens of the State." The remarks of the Speaker further added to the situation with the BJP, JKNPP and JSM legislators starting raising slogans against the government.
"They are not the guests but should be considered as permanent citizens of the state. They have been living under miserable conditions in the state for the last 62 years," the legislators said, adding that the government was more concerned about settlement of 'stone pelters'.
Shouting slogans, "Kala Kanoon Nahi Chalega, Kala Kanoon Hai Hai, Refugees Ko Unke Haq Do……….,." the furious MLAs staged a walk out from the House.
The opposition leaders raised the issue after a report in a Hindi national daily saying that Jammu and Kashmir government plans to rehabilitate 'stone pelters' under Civic Action Programme and that the decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Srinagar on January 22.
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