Independent MLA Engineer Rashid on Saturday unfurled a banner on religious tolerance before the Speaker, who belongs to the BJP, inside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to protest against the beef ban in the state.
As the Assembly met for the first time for the autumn session and opened by tabling obituary motion, Rashid, who represents north Kashmir’s Langate constituency, got up from his seat displaying the banner, which read: ‘No interference in religious affairs’.
In a bid to disrupt the house, the MLA went into the well of the House and accused Speaker Kavinder Gupta, a senior BJP leader, of “depriving MLAs of their rights by acting as an agent, mouth piece and proxy of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishva Hindu Parishad |(VHP), the Bajrang Dal and the BJP.
“What is the fate of the Bill on beef ban? Why a resolution seeking consensus to protect Article 35-A is not being tabled?” asked Mr. Rashid, who claimed to have collected more than one lakh signatures in favour of lifting of the beef ban in the Muslim-majority state.
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who met legislators from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the BJP over dinner on Friday night, expressed condolences over tragic death of over 1,200 Haj pilgrims this year and paid homage to former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former parliamentarian and legislators and ex-chief justice of J&K High Court who died recently.
Bandh over bovine issueMeanwhile, Muslims in Pir Panchal Valley’s Rajouri town on Saturday observed a bandh to protest against alleged beating of a Muslim cop for ferrying a bovine.
The policeman was attacked when he was carrying his milch buffalo on Friday. He was accused of planning to slaughter the animal.
