Uproar in Assembly Over Afzal Guru’s Execution
Speaker Reserves Verdict on Adjournment Motion
House Adjourned Twice Amid Noisy Protests
Opposition Demands Return of Mortal Remains
Rashid, PDP, and Tarigami Slam Speaker’s Indecision
Srinagar, Mar 1, KNT: Heated protests rocked the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday as the opposition, led by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, and Independent MLA Engineer Rasheed, sought a debate on Afzal Guru’s execution and the return of his mortal remains. The Speaker’s reluctance to make a decision on the adjournment motion sparked chaos, leading to two adjournments during the day.
As soon as the session began, PDP legislators, along with Tarigami and Engineer Rasheed, rose from their seats, demanding an immediate discussion on the adjournment motion submitted earlier by the PDP. The opposition raised slogans inside the House, accusing the ruling coalition of suppressing debate on what they termed a “sensitive and humanitarian” issue.
Engineer Rasheed and others stormed the well of the House, shouting slogans and urging the Speaker to allow a discussion on Afzal Guru’s secret hanging. The situation escalated when Rasheed attempted to vandalize furniture in protest, but was stopped by Assembly marshals.
The Speaker, Mubarak Gul, initially adjourned the session for an hour to calm tensions. However, when the Assembly resumed, the ruckus continued, forcing another adjournment — this time for the rest of the day. Gul clarified that the adjournment motion had not been rejected, but that he had reserved his decision on the matter.
Interestingly, the demand for a debate found some unexpected support. While PDP president Mehbooba Mufti led her party’s call for a motion, even ruling National Conference (NC) members and the CPI(M)’s lone MLA joined the demand vocally at one point, reflecting the political sensitivity of the issue.
NC leader Nasir Aslam Wani hit back at the PDP, accusing it of playing politics over Afzal Guru. “When Guru was alive, PDP remained silent. Now, they are trying to exploit sentiments for political gains,” Wani remarked. PDP’s Nizam-ud-Din Bhat countered the charge, insisting that the issue required serious deliberation and that a debate would reveal who had wronged the people.
Despite several appeals from the opposition, the Speaker stood firm on his decision to withhold judgment on the adjournment motion. As a result, the Assembly failed to conduct any legislative business on Friday, with the entire day consumed by noisy protests and slogan shouting.
The issue of Afzal Guru — hanged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in 2013 for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack — continues to stir emotional and political debate in Jammu and Kashmir, with demands still being raised for the return of his mortal remains to his family. [KNT]
