Jammu, March 1
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will debate the issue of return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru to the Valley and the situation arising out in the wake of his execution. Guru was executed and buried in Tihar Jail on February 9.

The issue rocked the House and after repeated disruptions it was ultimately adjourned for the day as Opposition parties demanded that Guru's remains must be handed over to his family.

Cutting across party lines, a total of three adjournment motions were moved by the ruling National Conference, principal Opposition PDP and the CPM in the Assembly to bring back Guru’s mortal remains.

Speaker Mubarak Gul said he has decided to entertain all adjournment motions. “I have conveyed to the members of the House that I am ready to hold discussions on the issue,” Gul said.

“I wanted that discussions should be held after completion of the normal business but the Opposition was adamant on suspending the business of the House”, he said, adding that discussion on the issue would be held on March 4.

Earlier, amid unprecedented din and repeated disruptions, the Assembly was adjourned for the day as the PDP relentlessly raised its demand for suspending normal business of the House to discuss the issue.

The trouble erupted soon after the House proceedings began with PDP legislators pleading the Speaker to accept their adjournment motion and suspend the question hour. CPM’s Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami also stood up from his seat and said he had also moved the motion for holding a discussion on the issue.

Later, Tarigami and PDP’s Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen, who also demanded a discussion on the issue, staged a walkout from the House.

Senior NC legislator Nasir Aslam Wani surprised many when he said that five MLAs of the party had also moved an adjournment motion to suspend the business of the House to discuss Afzal issue.

Five NC members, who moved the motion, include Wani, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehndi, Javed Ahmad Dar, Peer Afaq Ahmad and Mohammad Ashraf Ganie.

The Speaker, however, said he had received their adjournment motion and he had reserved the decision on it. It led to pandemonium in the House with the PDP legislators shouting slogans. Amid uproar, the Speaker adjourned the House for half-an-hour. As soon as the House reassembled, PDP members again trooped into the Well raising slogans. Independent MLA from Langate, Engineer Abdul Rashid, also joined them and raised slogans against the government for its “failure to protect Guru, a J-K resident, and depriving him of his legal rights”. He also tried to snatch the mike and hurl the chair at the Speaker but the watch and ward staff prevented him from doing so. The Speaker again adjourned the House and later it was adjourned for the day.