Peoples Conference chief Sajjad Lone tells the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly speaker that undermining elected representatives and ignoring official correspondence is unacceptable.
SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference Chairman Sajjad Gani Lone has warned authorities that undermining elected representatives and bypassing parliamentary privilege will not be tolerated, following ongoing concerns over official unresponsiveness in the legislative assembly.
Raising the issue before Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, Lone emphasized that the rights of public representatives and the dignity of the house must be protected. He asserted that ignoring letters and public grievances sent by lawmakers is a breach of legislative privilege.
“There is no question of walking over us,” Lone said during the assembly proceedings.
The exchange highlights persistent friction between elected lawmakers and the civil administration in Jammu and Kashmir. Members across political lines have previously raised concerns that senior bureaucratic officials frequently fail to acknowledge or respond to official correspondence submitted by legislators concerning local public issues.
Lawmakers have argued that such bureaucratic inaction undermines their constitutional role as the voice of the electorate. Discussions in the assembly have also touched upon instances where incomplete or inaccurate replies provided by administrative departments to legislative queries constituted a breach of privilege.
Government representatives have previously assured the house that administrative concerns raised by legislators would be examined and that necessary directives would be issued to ensure accountability among officials.