Ruckus over Waqf Amendment Act disrupts J&K Assembly, National Conference to move SC

The last three days of the 21-day budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly were disrupted and adjourned without any business due to uproar over the Waqf Amendment Act passed by Parliament. Legislators from the treasury benches repeatedly demanded a discussion on the law.

 

However, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather did not allow it. He said only Parliament or the courts had the power to change the law. On the final working day, April 9, the speaker also rejected a no-confidence motion brought against him by three MLAs from the People’s Conference, PDP, and Awami Ittehad Party. He said the motion was invalid because it did not meet the 14-day notice rule required under the assembly's procedures. After this, the session was adjourned sine die (without setting a date to resume).

 

Despite frequent disruptions, the speaker briefly addressed the assembly. He gave a farewell speech and made a short statement about the Waqf Amendment Act. The assembly functioned peacefully only for about 15 minutes before it was adjourned on the day.

 

During the session, the assembly secretariat received 1,355 questions. Of these, 154 were answered, along with 353 supplementary questions. A total of 1,738 cut motions were submitted, and 1,731 were discussed.

Three government bills were introduced and passed. Thirty-three private members’ bills were listed. 

 

The assembly also received 78 calling attention motions, of which 23 were taken up and 34 were rejected. Out of 109 resolutions submitted, 85 were accepted and 14 were listed for debate. The session lasted for over 39 hours in total.

 

National Conference (NC) legislators, along with their alliance partner Congress and some independents, held several meetings to try and end the deadlock. However, they failed to reach an agreement. NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the party would take the matter to the Supreme Court to challenge the Waqf Amendment Act. He described the law as a “constitutionally alarming interference” in the religious affairs of Muslims and said it violated fundamental rights. “The legal battle will now be fought in the Supreme Court,” Sadiq said.

India