Srinagar, July 29 (Inditop.com) Chaotic scenes marred the Jammu and Kashmir assembly for the third day as the speaker accepted a breach of privilege motion against opposition members Wednesday after they linked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to a sex scandal prompting him to offer his resignation.
After the session began in the morning following a day of high drama, Speaker Mohammed Akbar Lone read a letter from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) saying Abdullah had never been named in the infamous sex racket that rocked the Kashmir Valley in 2006.
The premier investigating agency probed the prostitution racket in which some top politicians, bureaucrats and security officials were alleged to be involved.
Armed with the CBI letter, Law Minister Ali Mohammed Sagar told the speaker that PDP’s Muzaffar Hussain Baig had made a false accusation against the chief minister and the National Conference was moving a breach of privilege motion against him.
As the letter was tabled in the house, PDP legislators led by Mehbooba Mufti tore its copies demanding a judicial probe into the chief minister’s alleged involvement.
The opposition accused the CBI of defending Abdullah, 39, who became chief minister in January this year and is known as a young reformist politican with a clean image. “We demand a judicial probe. The CBI investigation is unacceptable,” Mufti shouted in the house.
They said Abdullah’s name had figured in the “shame list” that was part of the high court judgement delivered in the case in 2007 by Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani.
The house was earlier adjourned following noisy protests by PDP members. When the business resumed, the opposition members protested again. But the speaker ordered mikes to be switched off. The protesting legislators walked out.
The speaker accepted the privilege motion against Mufti and Baig that will be tabled in the house in the coming days.
When the assembly proceedings started, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members argued that the assembly could not hold its session as there was no government in place following the chief minister’s resignation.
While all ministers of the Congress-National Conference government were present during the day’s session, Abdullah stayed away indicating he has not withdrawn his resignation over the sex slur.
On Tuesday, Baig had submitted a list of what he said were the accused in the case prepared by the CBI. According to the PDP leader, Abdullah’s name was 102nd in the list.
Following the charge, a visibly upset Abdullah said he was guilty until proven innocent and submitted his resignation to Governor N.N. Vohra. He was asked to stay on.
The sensational sex scandal broke in April 2006 after police discovered two VCDs showing Kashmiri women being sexually exploited. It snowballed into a massive racket that allegedly involved two ministers of the then Congress-PDP government, senior police and paramilitary officers and influential businessmen.
Forty-three women, including a minor, were being allegedly exploited by the powerful establishment, prompting violent protests in the valley.
Seveteen accused have been charged by the CBI and their trial in underway.
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