JK Assembly adjourned thrice amid pandemonium over Afzal Guru issue

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was today adjourned thrice as pandemonium broke out after Opposition members created unruly scenes over Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde' statement that the body of Afzal Guru will not be returned to his family.

The House proceedings were marred by unruly scenes, sloganeering and high-pitched verbal duel by the entire Opposition over Shinde's statement.

Shinde had yesterday ruled out handing over of the body of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru to his family in Kashmir and said "the body has been buried according the jail manual and there was no way it could be handed over."

As the House assembled this morning, PDP members stood up from the Opposition benches and raised solgans against the Union Home Minister, condemning his statement.

PDP member Syed Bashir and Javed Mustafa Mir said the Union Home Minister had hurt the House as the members cutting across partylines had demanded return of Guru's body to his family.

The demanded reply from the government on the issue. Speaker Mubarak Gul intervened and said the government cannot make statement on the comment of the Union Home Minister only on the basis of media reports.

He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will take up the issue with authorities concerned and will then make a statement in the House.

This provoked Opposition members and PDP leaders trooped into the Well, shouting 'Guru ki body ko wapas lao wapas lao-- resolution lao resolution lao.'

Opposition members of BJP, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) and Jammu State Morcha (JSM) also raised slogans, forcing the Speaker to adjourned the House.