Govt.
strategises to kill pro-beef Bills in Assembly on Oct 8th
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
______
SRINAGAR, Oct 1: Even as the PDP-BJP government is attempting to foil a discussion on the proposed legislation on scrapping of a law that makes cow-slaughter in Jammu and Kashmir punishable by 10 years of imprisonment, the ruling coalition has devised a parallel strategy to kill the opposition's five private members Bills in the bicameral Legislature on October 8th and 9th. Probably the shortest duration autumn session is beginning on October 3rd and ending on October 10th.
On admitting a petition from the J&K Government on Wednesday, Supreme Court of India has fixed next Monday for the first hearing. The Mufti government has contended that the September 8th order from a Division Bench of the J&K High Court in Jammu followed by a Srinagar-based Bench’s notice were “in conflict with each other” and being "exploited by vested interests" for generating a political turmoil and alienation.
While as the Jammu DB, on a PIL filed in 2014, has ordered Director General of Police to ensure enforcement of section 298 A,B,C and D of Ranbir Penal Code against anybody indulging in slaughter or trade of bovine animals or anybody possessing or consuming beef, the Srinagar Bench on a counter PIL has issued notices asking J&K Government why the 1862 monarchical law be not scrapped.
With nobody knowing what the Supreme Court would order on Monday, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s government, in complete coordination between the coalition partners, has initiated parallel attempts to ensure that there was no discussion on the five explosive Bills having potential of splitting the lawmakers on religious lines. A potential embarrassment either to BJP or to PDP, who have diametrically opposite stands on the three opposition Bills, could foreseeably lead to a political crisis including fall of the government.
While as BJP has sponsored a campaign to end cow-slaughter with strict enforcement of the 15 3-year-old law, PDP has adopted a pro-beef posturing in tune with the sentiment of its all-Muslim constituency in Kashmir and Jammu. All but one of BJP's 25 MLAs are Hindus while as all of PDP's 28 MLAs are Muslims.
Two of the private members Bills have been jointly filed in Assembly by the opposition National Conference's Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mohammad Akbar Lone. Two more of almost same substance have been moved separately by CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and independent MLA Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid. In Legislative Council, two identical Bills have been filed separately by NC’s Bashir Ahmad Veeri and Qaisar Jamsheed Lone.
All the ruling and opposition parties are meeting here on Friday to discuss their respective strategies and floor management during the 8-day-long session which would have just 6 days of substantive business.
Well placed authoritative sources revealed to STATE TIMES that rather than disallowing the three Bills in Assembly and two more in the Council, government was now in favour of admitting the same but strategically at the fag end of the session-----on October 8th in Assembly and on October 9th in the Council. Speaker is expected to place as many as 10 private members’ Bills for consideration on October 8th. The last three could be the pro-beef Bills filed by Sagar, Lone, Rashid and Tarigami.
In a possible pandemonium, the one-odd day fixed for the private members' Bills could pass without substantive discussion and voting. Similar situation could be created in the Upper House on October 9th.
The private members' Bills cannot be taken up on the next day under Business rules.
On the other hand, sources said, NC and other opposition parties would stress on preponement of the discussion on the private members' Bills with a strategy to place PDP and BJP in a tough situation. NC's planning to aggressively target not only the government but also the presiding officers of the two Houses became clear on Thursday with Omar Abdullah’s tweets. The Leader of the Opposition lashed out at Speaker Kavinder Gupta's interview in which he told NDTV that the pro-beef Bills were being moved with ill intentions to polarise the MLAs on religious lines.
END
◆ 3 Bills in Assembly and 2 Bills in Council
being pushed to fag end of session
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
______
SRINAGAR, Oct 1: Even as the PDP-BJP government is attempting to foil a discussion on the proposed legislation on scrapping of a law that makes cow-slaughter in Jammu and Kashmir punishable by 10 years of imprisonment, the ruling coalition has devised a parallel strategy to kill the opposition's five private members Bills in the bicameral Legislature on October 8th and 9th. Probably the shortest duration autumn session is beginning on October 3rd and ending on October 10th.
On admitting a petition from the J&K Government on Wednesday, Supreme Court of India has fixed next Monday for the first hearing. The Mufti government has contended that the September 8th order from a Division Bench of the J&K High Court in Jammu followed by a Srinagar-based Bench’s notice were “in conflict with each other” and being "exploited by vested interests" for generating a political turmoil and alienation.
While as the Jammu DB, on a PIL filed in 2014, has ordered Director General of Police to ensure enforcement of section 298 A,B,C and D of Ranbir Penal Code against anybody indulging in slaughter or trade of bovine animals or anybody possessing or consuming beef, the Srinagar Bench on a counter PIL has issued notices asking J&K Government why the 1862 monarchical law be not scrapped.
With nobody knowing what the Supreme Court would order on Monday, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s government, in complete coordination between the coalition partners, has initiated parallel attempts to ensure that there was no discussion on the five explosive Bills having potential of splitting the lawmakers on religious lines. A potential embarrassment either to BJP or to PDP, who have diametrically opposite stands on the three opposition Bills, could foreseeably lead to a political crisis including fall of the government.
While as BJP has sponsored a campaign to end cow-slaughter with strict enforcement of the 15 3-year-old law, PDP has adopted a pro-beef posturing in tune with the sentiment of its all-Muslim constituency in Kashmir and Jammu. All but one of BJP's 25 MLAs are Hindus while as all of PDP's 28 MLAs are Muslims.
Two of the private members Bills have been jointly filed in Assembly by the opposition National Conference's Ali Mohammad Sagar and Mohammad Akbar Lone. Two more of almost same substance have been moved separately by CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and independent MLA Engineer Sheikh Abdul Rashid. In Legislative Council, two identical Bills have been filed separately by NC’s Bashir Ahmad Veeri and Qaisar Jamsheed Lone.
All the ruling and opposition parties are meeting here on Friday to discuss their respective strategies and floor management during the 8-day-long session which would have just 6 days of substantive business.
Well placed authoritative sources revealed to STATE TIMES that rather than disallowing the three Bills in Assembly and two more in the Council, government was now in favour of admitting the same but strategically at the fag end of the session-----on October 8th in Assembly and on October 9th in the Council. Speaker is expected to place as many as 10 private members’ Bills for consideration on October 8th. The last three could be the pro-beef Bills filed by Sagar, Lone, Rashid and Tarigami.
In a possible pandemonium, the one-odd day fixed for the private members' Bills could pass without substantive discussion and voting. Similar situation could be created in the Upper House on October 9th.
The private members' Bills cannot be taken up on the next day under Business rules.
On the other hand, sources said, NC and other opposition parties would stress on preponement of the discussion on the private members' Bills with a strategy to place PDP and BJP in a tough situation. NC's planning to aggressively target not only the government but also the presiding officers of the two Houses became clear on Thursday with Omar Abdullah’s tweets. The Leader of the Opposition lashed out at Speaker Kavinder Gupta's interview in which he told NDTV that the pro-beef Bills were being moved with ill intentions to polarise the MLAs on religious lines.
END
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