Independent MLA Pawan Gupta, who was a minister Mufti Mohmmad Sayeed government, was marshalled out of Assembly today after he protested against Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks that tampering with Article 370 was an “anti-national” act.
As Jammu and Kashmir Assembly began its proceeding this morning, Gupta raised the issue and hit out the BJP for “remaining silent” on Mehbooba’s remarks though abrogation of Article 370 was “core issue” for the party.
He carried a banner asking BJP-PDP government to tender an apology for the CM’s “derogatory” and walked into the well of the house raising slogans against BJP.
“BJP should tell the Nation whether speaking against Article 370 is anti-national. Whether Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee, Pt Deen Dayal Upadhaya and former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee are anti nationals,” the Udhampur MLA said in the house.
After few minutes of uproarious scenes, he was marshalled out of the house on the direction of the Speaker.
Gupta, who is son of veteran BJP leader Lala Shiv Charan Gupta, was Minister of State for Finance in BJP-PDP government headed by Sayeed.
Talking to reporters, Gupta later said, “Wither the government should apologise for its statement or withdraw it”.
“I want to know the stand of BJP. I demanded that a debate should be held on Article 370 on the floor of this Assembly and BJP should come clean on this,” he said.
“People of Jammu and India want to know whether BJP is supporting Article 370 or is against it. BJP’s double speak has been exposed now. They have sold their core idealogy for power,” Gupta said.
Gupta said that revocation of Article 370 was the main demand of BJP since its leaders like Shyama Prasad Mukheerjee and Deen Dayal Upadhyay had sacrificed their lives for it.
“Mehbooba saying that those raising issue of abrogation of Article 370 are anti-nationals means BJP is anti-national but it is very unfortunate that none of the MLAs from the saffron party bothered to oppose the statement,” Gupta said.
Later during the Zero Hour, BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia drew the attention of Speaker Kavinder Gupta and the House towards the remarks made by Mehbooba in the state Assembly yesterday.
“I want to draw your attention towards the chief minister’s remarks. Some want autonomy, some self rule and BJP has its own ideology. BJP has the core issue of abrogating Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and we are not anti- nationals,” Jasrotia, who is an MLA from Hiranagar, said.
He demanded that the CM’s remarks be expunged as those opposing Article 370 are not anti-nationals.
As the Speaker agreed to the demand, the members of NC and Congress were on their feet in opposition, terming the move as illegal.
PDP members also staged a walkout over the expunging of the remarks. Protests, sloganeering and noisy scenes forced the Speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.
(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
Source: dnaindia.com