E-Paper
J&K assembly adjourned sine die amid uproar
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was adjourned sine die (indefinite period) on Tuesday amid ruckus over the alleged custodial death of ruling National Conference (NC) worker Syed Mohammad Yusuf, 61.
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly was adjourned sine die (indefinite period) on Tuesday amid ruckus over the alleged custodial death of ruling National Conference (NC) worker Syed Mohammad Yusuf, 61.
The adjournment, on the last day of the autumn session, came amid protests by the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP), which demanded suspension of the question hour and a discussion on Yusuf's death on September 30.
Yusuf, an NC worker from south Kashmir's Anantnag district, had allegedly taken Rs 1.2 crore from two fellow party workers, promising them berths in the state ministry and legislative council.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah had handed him over to the state crime branch on September 29 for investigations.
According to the crime branch, he died at the Srinagar police hospital after complaining of nausea and chest pain. The state government on Monday claimed a preliminary post-mortem report showed Yusuf had died of cardiac arrest.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said, "A death has happened. We want to discuss the trail of the money. We want to discuss it in this house. There is a cover-up of the issue."
CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami and Panthers Party MLA Harsh Dev Singh supported the PDP demand. Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone rejected the opposition demand, saying the government had ordered a judicial probe into the issue. Lone kept the question hour going and passed two bills by voice vote.
