Jammu, Feb 24 (Inditop.com) Jammu and Kashmir’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti Wednesday accused the Omar Abdullah government of being “autocratic” as there was “no space for the opposition to raise issues of public importance”.
“The ruling National Conference has made a mockery of the highest institution of the legislative assembly by choking the voice of the opposition by adopting undemocratic means,” she told mediapersons.
All legislators of her party walked out from the house earlier as Speaker Akbar Lone disallowed them to raise the issue of the killing of “innocent” people in the Kashmir Valley.
“The way the functioning of the assembly is going on, it is better to hold proceedings either in the residence of National Conference leaders or in the office of the ruling party as there is no space for opposition to raise issues of public importance,” Mufti said.
Asked about the walkout, she said: “What is the fun of staying in the house when the government was not ready to listen to our voice?”
She regretted that instead of giving space to the opposition to raise people’s issues, the government was behaving in an “autocratic” manner.
“Not only the opposition parties, this regime is even trying to pressurize media against highlighting ground realities,” she alleged.
“Being the opposition, people expect us to raise their problems in the assembly so that ground realities be reflected in the house but this autocratic regime is not ready to listen to the voice of dissent,” she said.
“Inside the house, the opposition is not allowed to raise important issues while outside the assembly, the anger of people is suppressed through bullets, teargas shells and cane charge,” she alleged.
The leader of opposition said that the killing of innocent people has been going on unabated in the Kashmir Valley but the government was not ready to discuss the issue in the assembly.
“Instead of taking up important issues for discussion, the government is adamant on routine business,” Mufti said.
“In the 45-day long session, the government can do routine business any time but the issue relating to the lives of innocent people should be given priority,” she added.
Faced with criticism for patronising stone-pelters, the PDP had Tuesday also walked out of the state assembly demanding action against those responsible for the killing of an 11-day-old infant in Kashmir’s Baramullah town Monday when stone-pelters targeted the vehicle in which the family was travelling.
rounak