By IANS,
Srinagar : Chaos reigned for the second consecutive day in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly Tuesday with the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) targeting the government over the alleged custodial death of ruling National Conference (NC) worker Sayeed Mohammad Yusuf. The assembly was adjourned sine die on the last day of the session.
Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone disallowed an adjournment motion moved by the PDP for a discussion on Yusuf’s death. Lone Communist Party of India-Marxist member Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami and three legislators of the National Panthers Party also supported the PDP’s demand.
Protesting PDP leaders gathered near the podium of the speaker, who was unable to restore the order in the house but the government still managed to push through the official business for the day.
“The assembly carried out its normal business despite the ruckus created by the PDP members. Bills were passed by the assembly today before the honourable speaker adjourned the house sine die,” an official of the assembly secretariat said.
The assembly session began Sep 26.
Yusuf, a land dealer from south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town, died Sep 30, allegedly in police custody. He had been detained for questioning along with two other middle-rung leaders of the party, who alleged that Yusuf had taken a bribe of Rs.1.18 crore from them for getting one a minister’s post and the other a legislator’s seat.
Yusuf had died in the local police hospital due to a heart attack, the government said.
The PDP, however, alleges that Yusuf died under mysterious circumstances after he was called to the house of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to explain his position.