Can’t annul resolution passed by House; BJP can bring no-confidence if it wants me out: J&K Speaker
Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Thursday rejected the BJP’s demand to either roll back the special status resolution passed by the House or step down, and said if the party does not have faith in him, it should bring a no-confidence motion.
He also rebuked the party for its “cheap sloganeering” and said he could not tolerate members entering into the Well of the House and stomping over the National Emblem placed on the Assembly Secretary’s chair.
“They (BJP) are asking the Speaker to take back the resolution. The Speaker does not have the powers. Anything passed by the House can only be undone by the House itself. Speakers cannot do it. The Speaker has limited powers in these issues... he has to preside, count and give decisions based on the facts before him,” said Rather.
The Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution, asking the Centre to work out a constitutional mechanism for restoring the special status to J&K that was revoked on August 5, 2019. The resolution was hailed by Valley-based political parties while it prompted protests by the main opposition BJP, which demanded its rollback.
The passage of the resolution led to an uproar in the House as the BJP members protested vociferously. They have not allowed the House to function for two consecutive days now, demanding that the Speaker either take back the resolution or step down.
“How can a speaker do it? My advice to them is to go through the Assembly rules and then talk in the House,” he said.
The Speaker said if BJP members did not have faith in him as the presiding officer of the House, they should follow the proper procedure of removing him. “I have no worries but if they do not have faith in the Chair, shouting slogans is still not the way. There is a procedure of no-confidence motion.”
“They should bring no confidence motion. If the House passes it, I will go back on my own whether any member tells me or not. However, they will not do that also but keep raising slogans only. This kind of cheap sloganeering is not done. They belong to the ruling party at the Centre. They should keep that in mind and they should be better behaved compared to others. Their behaviour is not right,” he said.
“Yesterday, some members came into the Well of the House and stood on the Chair of the Secretary, Legislative Assembly. There is the National Emblem on his chair and they stepped on the National Emblem with their shoes on. As a speaker, how can I tolerate it? When I saw it yesterday, I felt extremely sad. After all, we are Indians first. We should respect our flag and the emblem,” he added.
Rather said an MLA had to lead by example for people outside the House.
“If he does such things, what will the Speaker do? So, I had given directions today that if anyone comes into the Well, he should be stopped. What is his job there? Anyone wants to speak, they should do it from their chair. How can they come in the Well and then stand on the chairs?
