Srinagar, Oct 27 (KNS): Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday drew a sharp comparison between the party’s two MPs, Mian Altaf Ahmad Larvi and Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, saying there is a “difference between earth and sky” between the two.

Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Omar said he treats Mian Altaf with deep respect and considers him a senior colleague whose advice he values immensely.

“My father always tells me to think before I speak and so does Mian Altaf. In that sense, there is no difference between my father and Mian Sahib. I see him the same way,” Omar said, as per KNS.

The Chief Minister said he had personally requested Mian Altaf to reach out to him directly whenever there was any issue to discuss. “I told him, whenever anyone wants to talk to me, leave the media aside and come to me directly. We can talk behind closed doors, no one else needs to know,” he said.

On being asked about MP Agha Ruhullah, Omar interrupted and refused to comment. “I will not talk about him,” he said. “Whom people are you bringing on a platform? Where is Mian Altaf and where is he? There is a difference between the earth and the sky.”(KNS)

Speaker disallows discussion on reservation policy, cites sub-judice status

 

Srinagar, Oct 27 (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday declined a request from Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone to hold a discussion on the Union Territory’s reservation policy, with Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ruling that the issue was both sub-judice and not of recent occurrence.

Soon after the completion of the question hour, Lone sought permission to move an adjournment motion over what he described as the government’s inaction in rationalizing the reservation framework. He informed the House that his motion had been submitted earlier for consideration.

The Speaker, however, turned down the request, saying that the motion did not meet the procedural requirements outlined in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. He explained that an adjournment motion must relate to a matter of recent and urgent public importance, which, in this case, did not apply.

“This subject has already been discussed in the Assembly on earlier occasions,” Rather observed while noting that a government-appointed committee is currently examining the reservation issue. He further said that since the matter is under judicial consideration, it cannot be debated in the House at this stage.

The Speaker’s decision effectively ended the attempt to reopen discussion on the policy, which has been a point of contention among several political parties in the region. Lone, who represents the Peoples Conference, has repeatedly called for a review of the existing reservation system, arguing that it requires transparency and accountability in implementation.

No further discussion was permitted on the subject during the day’s proceedings, and the Assembly moved on to the next item on the agenda. —(KNS)