3 PP members boycott J&K Assembly for suspending another member

Srinagar, Aug 25 (UNI) Three members of the Panthers Party (PP) today boycotted the proceedings of the Jstate Legislative Assembly, to protest against the refusal to revoke the suspension order of their colleague Harish Dev Singh, for the rest of the session.

All the three members -- Balwant Singh Mankotia, Fakir Nath and Yashpal Kundal -- wearing black armbands, were on dharna outside the main gate of the Assembly Hall.

''We want to know under what rule Mr Harish Dev Singh was suspended for the rest of the session from the house'', the agitated PP members said, adding it was ''undemocratic and unconstitutional''.

Leader of the opposition, Abdul Rahim Rather raised question of the dharna outside the Hall by the PP members during zero hour. The house should call them in because it was a very short session, he said.

Mr Rather said he had given a two line notice to the Speaker two days ago, in which he has demanded termination Mr Singh's suspension.

But the speaker has yet to give his ruling whether the notice has been rejected or accepted. ''If it is rejected, give us the reason and if it is accepted, bring it into the house'', he demanded.

Mr Singh was suspended for the rest of the house after he allegedly threatened a minister that he would '' kill'' him. Another minister Managat Ram Sharma also alleged that he too was threatened by the member.

After being disallowed to raise the issue in the assembly, all the three PP members staged a walkout out during the second meeting yesterday.

They later decided to boycott the ongoing Assembly session from today in protest against the Congress led government's decision not to revoke the suspension of Mr Singh.

Mr Mankotia told reporters outside that Speaker Tara Chand has made a mockery of the democracy and is playing into the hands of Congress by not revoking the suspension of the party MLA.

''The Speaker failed to answer when he was repeatedly asked to specify under what rules Mr Singh has been suspended from the ongoing session of the Assembly,'' he said, claiming the government is afraid to face the opposition as there are many skeletons in their cupboard.

The government would have been exposed by the PP in the house over the issue of corruption, west Pakistan refugees, PoK refugees and Jammu migrants, he said.

UNI