Mehbooba slams assembly speaker, accuses him of imposing a form of ‘martial law’

Srinagar, Feb 23 (PTI) PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the role of the assembly speaker is to safeguard the rights of members of the legislature and not to act as a censor.

Her remarks came after Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather took a serious note of publicity of the House business notices ahead of the Budget session. The Speaker has asked the members to desist from the breach of privilege.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister accused Rather of imposing a form of “martial law” while occupying a constitutional position.

“While Rathar Sahab may be concerned with preserving the sanctity of legislative proceedings, as Speaker, his primary role is to safeguard the rights of members, not to act as a censor,” she said in a post on X.

She said transparency and public awareness of legislative activities should not be seen as an infringement on parliamentary practices.

“On the contrary, informing the public about notices, questions, and resolutions in advance promotes accountability. Many significant parliamentary bills, such as the recent Waqf Bill, are debated publicly for months.

“Regrettably, it appears that Rathar Sahab, a seasoned politician, is imposing a form of martial law while occupying a constitutional position,” she added.

The Budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is scheduled to begin on March 3.

The Speaker said it is improper to give unwarranted publicity to the notices of questions, Bills, resolutions and other similar matters connected with business of the House.