J&K: Deputy speaker resigns over protest charges

Senior Peoples Democratic Party leader Sartaj Madni Thursday resigned from the post of deputy speaker of the Jammu nad Kashmir state assembly in protest against the reported remarks made against him by the speaker.

As the house met on Thursday morning, Madni walked to the podium and raised the issue about the reported remarks of the speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone. Madni said that the speaker had accused him of having joined yesterday's PDP protests inside the house.

He maintained he had not joined the protests. In his resignation letter, Madni said, "You are obviously following not the established parliamentary practices and traditions to run the house, but are following your party's policy of beating everybody into submission."

The resignation is the first of its kind in the legislative history of the state.