SRINAGAR, SEPT 16: A political face-off over the duration of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session intensified on Wednesday, with Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather hitting back at Leader of Opposition Sunil Kumar Sharma and asking him to “check facts before raising fingers.”
Defending the decision to hold a 10-day Autumn Session, comprising seven working days, Rather said the duration had been fixed according to the volume of legislative business and there was no justification for extending the sitting merely to increase the number of days.
“It won’t serve any purpose to have a long session. We have to keep it as per the business,” the Speaker said while addressing reporters ahead of the session.
Rather challenged the Opposition’s criticism by citing comparative figures of Assembly sittings, saying J&K had recorded an average of 28 sittings against a national average of 24.
“Our position is best when we compare our position with other legislatures. J&K is performing better in terms of holding sittings,” he said.
The Speaker also invoked the constitutional requirement that the gap between two Assembly sessions should not exceed six months, saying some legislatures convened brief sessions largely to fulfil this requirement.
Taking a direct swipe at Sharma, Rather referred to Assam, which he said had held a one-day Autumn Session despite being governed by the BJP.
“Ask the LoP about Assam which is governed by BJP. Sunil Sharma served as the BJP’s election in-charge for the state. He should answer this,” Rather said.
He also cited figures for other states, saying Gujarat had three sittings after reconvening in September, while Rajasthan had two, Uttar Pradesh four, Madhya Pradesh five, Punjab six and Goa five.
“My request to the LoP is to check facts before raising fingers,” Rather said.
Rather further pointed to previous Autumn Sessions of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the 2015 session was held from October 3 to 10, while the 2017 session lasted four days, from July 4 to 8.
He said Sharma was part of the decision-making process during the earlier period and questioned the criticism of the present 10-day schedule.
“The present LoP was part of the decision-making process at the time. We are now holding the session for 10 days and opposition (LoP) says we are making a joke of it,” he said.
Rather maintained that the duration of a legislative session should be determined by the volume of business rather than the number of sitting days, while also highlighting the expenditure involved in convening the House.
The Speaker also appealed to journalists to give greater prominence to substantive legislative work rather than disruptions and noisy scenes inside the House.
“Prefer quality over noise,” Rather said, urging the media to ensure that meaningful participation, adherence to rules and legislative performance receive greater attention.
He cautioned that excessive focus on disruptions could encourage some legislators, particularly younger members, to resort to disorderly conduct for publicity.
“Legislators should feel that sensible behaviour in the House will invite more coverage,” he added.
Rather also asked journalists to exercise due care while reporting proceedings and avoid any breach of privilege.
He assured the media that efforts would be made to improve arrangements and address inconveniences faced by journalists during previous sessions.
The Autumn Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly is scheduled to begin on September 21, 2026.
