Heated debate between NC, BJP in J&K Assembly during obituary reference to Satya Pal Malik

The first day of the autumn session of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed a heated debate during obituary references as a legislator of the ruling National Conference (NC) described the role of former governor late Satya Pal Malik in the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 as controversial. Speaking on Malik -- the 10th and last governor of the erstwhile state of J&K who passed away in August this year -- NC MLA Bashir Veeri said his role in the abrogation of Article 370 was controversial. Irked by the statement, BJP member Sham Lal Sharma demanded that the remarks be expunged. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather refused to expunge the NC MLA's remarks but asked him to respect the deceased. At the conclusion of the obituary references, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Malik must have acted with the belief that he was doing good. None of us is an angel sent by God. We have also made mistakes, he said. The CM noted that Malik had held the positions of MLA, MP, union minister, and then governor. When history will be written, everyone will be mentioned. We would like to believe that he did whatever he did with the intention of doing good, Abdullah added. Congress legislative party leader G A Mir called Malik a good leader, who was outspoken and popular. He might have benefitted from it (Article 370 abrogation), but he suffered as well. We saw how he had to struggle in his last days to put the truth before the people, Mir said. PDP MLA Rafiq Naik said while there may be differences with Malik, we should not speak negatively while paying tributes to the deceased. We may have differences, but since he (Malik) has left us, we should speak good of him, he said. Naik also raised the issue of AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, who was arrested last month under the Public Safety Act for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district, but the speaker said, You are speaking on obituary references, and he (Mehraj Malik) is still alive. On Satya Pal Malik, CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami said obituary does not mean we do not learn a lesson. Respect apart, a person who was entrusted with a public responsibility should also be assessed for his actions. Otherwise, it becomes a routine exercise. Even criticism can be done by staying within the levels of decency, Tarigami said. Awami Ittehad Party MLA Sheikh Khursheed said while constructive criticism should be allowed, Satya Pal Malik was the last governor of J-K, who later raised farmers' issues and was an honest politician. Asserting that August 5, 2019, was a historic day (when Article 370 was abrogated), BJP's Vikram Randhawa, while referring to Satya Pal Malik, said an ordinary person cannot be made the governor of five states. The BJP saw his talent and appointed him (as governor). August 5 is a historic day for J-K, and it was a coincidence that Satya Pal Malik breathed his last on August 5 (this year), Randhawa said. The remarks led to protests by some NC MLAs, with Nazir Gurezi claiming that Malik did some unconstitutional things which will be written in history. However, BJP MLA Narinder Singh said the credit for achieving 'One Nation, One Constitution' goes to Malik. Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said the members should not say anything against those who have left this world. None of these persons would have thought that someday a member sitting in this House would say things in a different way. The same can happen to us tomorrow. How will the family feel then? We should be mindful of that, Sharma said. Paying tributes to the deceased leaders, Chief Minister Abdullah said he had a chance to work with some of them. Some of them I never met. But each one of them tried to do something good. All of them served people either through elections or through political parties. Today these people have left us, and we will also leave (the world) some day. When? No one knows. But one thing is sure that we all have to go. The House and its members will remember us, Abdullah said. The House observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect for the departed leaders, which also included ex-minister Gulchain Singh Charak, former MLA Dina Nath Bhagat, ex-MLCs Ghulam Nabi Shaheen, Ramesh Arora and Sardar Mohammad Akhlaq Khan. The speaker then adjourned the House till Monday, with Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for Friday and Saturday and Sunday being off days. (With inputs from PTI)