Srinagar: Opposition leaders continued their protests against the ban of beef in the state for the second consecutive day in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday. The opposition members stormed the well of the House demanding adjournment of Question Hour to discuss various issues including regularisation of casual workers.
The opposition members also demanded a discussion of Article 35 A which upholds the unique status of the permanent residents of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
On Monday too, the National Conference raised the issue in the House saying that beef ban will not be tolerated. "We want the beef ban be handled by legislature. In order to save his government, the Chief Minister has referred the matter to the Supreme Court," said NC leader Omar Abdullah.
The opposition members had protested over beef ban and other issues in the Jammu and Kashmir legislature with banner-waving MLAs of NC and Congress storming the well, climbing tables and clashing with marshals in the Assembly, leaving a lawmaker and a security staff injured.
NC had raised the issue of beef ban in both the legislative assembly and the legislative council with Omar Abdullah questioning why the PDP-BJP Government approached the Supreme Court when the legislature is "free" to scrap the 1932 provision in the Ranbir Penal Code prohibiting cow slaughter.
The protests had started after the chair in the Assembly and the Council disallowed motions moved by NC seeking suspension of Question Hour over beef ban issue and also by Congress for a discussion on rehabilitation of flood victims and imposition of service tax on helicopter services for Vaishnodevi pilgrims.
The NC, CPI(M) and independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid had submitted separate bills seeking revocation of a 150-year-old law that criminalises cow slaughter in the state.
The High Court on September 8 had asked state police to strictly enforce the ban on selling beef and a week later, the court issued a notice to the state government to strike down the constitutional provisions criminalising bovine slaughter.
The issue of beef ban came to fore after a division bench of High Court in Jammu directed the state to strictly implement the ban in the state as per the law.
The ruling evoked strong resentment from various quarters with many separatist and religious organisations terming it as "interference in religious affairs" and sought revocation of the law, besides pressing for implementation of ban on liquor in the state.
(with inputs from PTI)
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