J&K assembly: Congress and NC stage a walkout demanding dismissal of a minister

Srinagar: Opposition National Conference and Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the state Assembly on Thursday to protest against a BJP minister allegedly encroaching upon 95 hectares of state land on the outskirts of Jammu city. [caption id=“attachment_2813310” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Getty images[/caption] As soon as the House assembled, Congress and NC members were on their feet, demanding dismissal of the minister. Without naming the minister, Congress leader Nawang Rigzin Jora, quoting from a newspaper report, said it has been established by the Revenue Department that the minister had grabbed state land. Speaker Kavinder Gupta said the Revenue Department will inquire into the matter, but that failed to pacify the agitated members. Jora informed the chair that the media report was based on a report of the Revenue Department. “The report should be called for from District Administration, Jammu and tabled in the house,” he said. Zulfikar Ali, PDP member and CAPD minister, said the matter was subjudice and cannot be debated in the house. The Speaker then went ahead with the Question Hour. Congress members charged into the Well of the House, shouting slogans against the PDP-BJP government and later staged a walkout. They were joined by National Conference members.