Dr Drabu wants 2 opposition legislators to keep their word, seeks Speaker's intervention

SRINAGAR, JULY 07: While introducing the historical Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax ( JKGST) Bill 2017 in the Legislative Assembly this morning, Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu made two rather unusual requests to the Speaker, Mr Kavinder Gupta.

He sought separate directions to two opposition MLAs — one to salute him from the Well of the House and other to resign as a legislator.

He said that National Conference (NC) MLA Devinder Rana, while participating in the discussion on the GST resolution, had said he would salute him (Finance Minister) from the Well of the House if the adequate constitutional safeguards vis-a-vis Article-370 of the Constitution of India and Section-5 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir were included in the preamble of the Presidential Order on the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Now that these safeguards have been ensured in the Presidential Order a direction may be given that he (Rana) salutes me whenever the next session takes place as he is not present in the House today," Dr Drabu said.

Referring to Congress legislator GM Saroori's remark that if the safeguards were included in the Presidential Order on GST, he would resign as a legislator, Dr Drabu said a direction should also be issued to the Congress MLA asking him to resign as the condition set by him was fulfilled.