Sajad Gani Lone, president of the Jammu & Kashmir Peoples’ Conference (JKPC) and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), staged a walkout from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday after the Speaker disallowed his motion for amendments concerning Article 370, police verification, and the alleged rigging of the 1987 elections.
Following the conclusion of the question hour, Lone questioned Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s authority to reject his proposed amendments, which sought discussions on the restoration of Article 370, reforms in police verification policies, and a probe into election rigging allegations. The Speaker cited procedural rules to justify his decision.
Lone had submitted seven amendments to the Lieutenant Governor’s address, but only two were permitted. He expressed frustration over the absence of key issues in the address, particularly the resolution passed in the last session on restoring Article 370. Highlighting concerns over police verification, he argued that individuals should not suffer due to their relatives’ actions. Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat supported Lone’s demand for a discussion on the matter.
In response, Speaker Rather stated that issues like the Public Safety Act (PSA) fall under the Ministry of Home Affairs and cannot be repealed without the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. Meanwhile, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma reaffirmed his party’s stance against what he termed unconstitutional and anti-national activities in the Assembly.
