Jammu, Oct 23, KNT: A brief moment of unease was witnessed in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday when National Conference (NC) legislator Dr. Bashir Ahmad Veeri made a reference to the controversial “fax machine” episode while speaking during obituary references. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather immediately objected to the remark, urging the member to refrain from making political comments while paying tributes to the departed leaders.
While participating in the obituary discussion, Dr. Veeri remarked that the role of former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik was “controversial” and that “everyone remembers the fax machine incident.” The reference prompted laughter among some legislators, recalling the political controversy surrounding the dissolution of the Assembly in 2018 when the then Governor allegedly cited a malfunctioning fax machine to deny receiving a government formation letter.
However, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened promptly, cautioning Dr. Veeri against making remarks that could be construed as criticism of a deceased person. “Please do not speak against the departed soul. Let us maintain the sanctity of this occasion,” the Speaker said, steering the discussion back to the official condolence proceedings.
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The Speaker reiterated that obituary references were meant to honour and remember the services of public figures who had passed away and not to revisit political controversies.
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Dr. Veeri subsequently continued his remarks without further reference to the issue, while the House resumed normal proceedings after the brief exchange. [KNT]
