BJP leaders flee from their Assembly MLAs

Senior BJP leaders on Thursday condemned the withdrawal of the party’s MLAs from the Legislative Assembly in Srinagar.

Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Kavinder Gupta has taken a strong stand against the Speaker, accusing him of not taking action against the mistreatment of MLAs in the House of Representatives.

Gupta expressed disappointment over the “passivity of the speaker”, which he said compromised the dignity and decorum of the legislative body. He also condemned Prime Minister Omar Abdullah for his silence on the issue, criticizing his inability to intervene at a time when the sanctity of the Assembly should be paramount.

In a statement, the BJP leader called the incident a “shameful stain on the democratic process”, noting that elected representatives were hampered in voicing the concerns of their constituencies. “The Speaker’s indifference poorly reflects the Assembly’s commitment to democratic values,” he said, adding that every representative deserves a safe and respectful space to express the voice of the people.

MLA Yudhvir Sethi also condemned the NC for its attempt to suppress the voice of Jammu region in the Legislative Assembly. He said that the right to expression was hampered when the MLAs were forcibly expelled from the Assembly.

Sethi slammed the NC, accusing it of deliberate diversionary tactics to hide its alleged inability to deliver on its promises to the people. He further criticized the ruling party for indulging in outdated and irrelevant issues, saying, “The NC is raising dead issues and trying to revive past issues like restoration of Article 370, while it is failing to address the pressing concerns of the people.”

BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh warned the Omar Abdullah-led government against “murdering the mandate of democracy by resorting to disruptive and violent means”.

Chugh reacted strongly to the expulsion of the BJP members from the Assembly, saying it was a blatant attempt to suppress the voice of the people.

Chugh said Omar Abdullah was making an “attempt to undermine democratic institutions just to attract media attention and please his master across the border.”