Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker denies debate on Kathua killings citing Reorganisation Act

The controversy erupted at the start of the Question Hour, as members of ruling National Conference and Congress party demanded a discussion on the civilian killings in Kathua.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Monday disallowed a discussion on the recent killings of three civilians in Kathua district invoking Section 32 of the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, which limits the legislature’s authority over matters related to police and public order.
The controversy erupted at the start of the Question Hour, as members of the ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress party demanded a discussion on the civilian killings in Billawar, Kathua.

Amidst mounting uproar, Rameshwar Singh, the MLA from Bani, attempted to storm into the Well of the House in protest. Singh, who had been manhandled during a confrontation in Billawar on Saturday night, was swiftly restrained by marshals.

The Speaker, attempting to defuse the situation, reiterated that the Assembly was not empowered to deliberate on such matters, citing the specific provisions of the J&K Reorganisation Act-2019.

“The Lieutenant Governor has already ordered an investigation into the incident,” Rather said, emphasizing that it was beyond the legislative body’s scope to intervene in the matter.

According to the draft rules prepared ahead of the first Budget Session of the J&K Union Territory (UT) Assembly, legislators cannot raise discussions on matters related to security, public order and All India Services.

The rules were necessitated as Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded and bifurcated into two UTs by the Centre on August 5, 2019 with J&K Reorganisation Act ushering in new rules.

Bodies of three civilians—Darshan Singh (40), Yogesh Singh (32), and Varun Singh (15)—who had been missing since Thursday, when they were traveling with a wedding procession near the Ishu forests in Billawar, were found in a river in Kathua’s Malhar area triggering widespread outrage in the area.

The Resistance Front, believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiaba outfit, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killings.

Following the killings, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan Sunday chaired a high-level meeting  in Jammu  to assess the security situation. Officials have confirmed that a security review meeting was conducted in response to the incident.