Examiner Bureau | Jammu:
Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma on Wednesday criticised Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather’s decision to appoint MLAs from the ruling National Conference-led alliance as heads of eight out of nine House Committees, alleging that the move reflects an attempt to turn the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly into the “headquarters” of the National Conference.
In a statement, Sharma said the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly belongs to the people of the Union Territory and not to any single political party. He asserted that the BJP would oppose any effort to convert the Assembly into the “fiefdom” of a ruling dispensation.
“The decision to appoint eight MLAs from the ruling alliance as heads of House Committees is completely unjustified and amounts to an insult to the mandate of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma said. He alleged that the widely accepted principle of proportional representation had been ignored in the process.
The BJP leader noted that while the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the J&K Legislative Assembly empower the Speaker to nominate committee chairpersons, such discretion should be exercised in a fair and balanced manner.
He further claimed that first-time legislators from the ruling alliance had been given key committee positions, while experienced opposition MLAs were overlooked.
“The ruling alliance, which has 54 MLAs, has been allotted eight committee chairmanships, whereas the BJP, with 29 MLAs, has been given charge of only one committee,” Sharma said. He added that five of the eight committees allotted to the alliance would be headed by National Conference legislators, despite the party holding 41 seats in the Assembly.
Calling the move politically motivated, Sharma alleged that the decision exposed a “sinister design” to consolidate the Assembly’s functioning under the influence of the ruling party.
