States » NorthPosted at: Sep 16 2026 8:57PM


Rather rejects BJP criticism over seven-day J&K Assembly session

Srinagar, Sept 16 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Wednesday rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s criticism of the forthcoming Autumn Session, which is scheduled to have seven sittings, saying the duration of a legislative session should be viewed in a comparative context.
The Speaker while interacting with reporters hit out at Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma over his criticism on the duration of the upcoming Autumn session.
Rather placed comparative data on the number of sittings held during Monsoon and Budget sessions in various States and union Territories.
The Speaker pointed out that several States and UTs had conducted fewer sittings during their respective Monsoon sessions. He said Uttar Pradesh held four sittings, Delhi three, Rajasthan two, Haryana three, Madhya Pradesh five, Punjab six, Gujarat three, Goa three, Tamil Nadu three, Bihar five, Jharkhand five and Chhattisgarh five sittings.
Against this backdrop, Rather said the J&K Legislative Assembly was scheduled to hold seven sittings during the forthcoming Autumn Session, despite Jammu and Kashmir being a union Territory.
Rather also cited the example of Assam, saying its Legislative Assembly had conducted a one-day session in June 2025.
He further pointed to the 22 sittings held by the J&K Assembly during the Budget Session, stating that the figure was comparatively higher than the number of sittings conducted by several other legislative assemblies during their corresponding sessions.
“The LoP should check facts before raising fingers asserting that J&K’s record of Assembly sittings was better than the national average,” he said.
The Speaker’s remarks came amid criticism from the BJP over the duration of the upcoming session, with the party questioning whether a session of just over seven working days would provide adequate time for legislative and public issues to be taken up.
Addressing the reporters, the Speaker urged the media representatives to give due prominence to substantive debates, constructive deliberations and issues of public importance discussed in the House.
The Speaker also emphasized the importance of avoiding any form of misleading or factually incorrect reporting. He urged the media to maintain the sanctity of legislative proceedings while reporting the functioning of the House.
He emphasised that isolated instances of disruption or disorder should not overshadow the substantive legislative business, as excessive focus on such incidents may convey an incomplete picture of the functioning of the House, particularly to the general public and newly elected members.
He called for greater emphasis on the quality of debates, discussions and legislative business conducted during the session. He said that the legislature who performs well in debates and discussions shall be given more prominence instead of those who create disturbance and trouble.
During the interaction, representatives of the media fraternity put forth a number of suggestions aimed at facilitating smooth, professional and hassle-free coverage of the Assembly proceedings.
The journalists raised issues relating to regulation and timely issuance of media passes for journalists.
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Tags: #Rather rejects BJP criticism over seven-day J&K Assembly session
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