Diplomat Correspondent
Jammu, (DD): Peoples Conference president and MLA Handwara, Sajad Gani Lone, walked out of the Legislative Assembly today in protest after his proposed amendments on Article 370, police verification, and the 1987 election rigging probe were disallowed.
Following the question hour, Lone questioned Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather over the rejection of his amendments, which sought to address the absence of Article 370 in the LG’s address, overhaul the stringent police verification system, and investigate the alleged rigging of the 1987 elections.
The Speaker responded that these amendments were disallowed under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House. Of the seven amendments Lone submitted, only two were permitted.
Expressing his frustration, Lone argued that the current police verification rules unfairly penalize individuals for their relatives’ actions. “We are victims of police verification. I am myself a victim. Nobody should be punished for what their kins have done. We cannot remain silent on this,” he said.
Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat supported Lone’s call for a discussion on police verification. Lone also criticized the absence of any mention of the Public Safety Act (PSA) in the LG’s address, arguing that if the government truly intended to reform it, it should have been included.
In response, the Speaker maintained that these issues fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs and cannot be addressed unless full statehood is restored.
Unhappy with this response, Lone staged a walkout from the House in protest.(DD)