Even as Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather on Tuesday finalised preparations for the forthcoming autumn session of the House, the Opposition BJP termed the short duration of the session a mockery of democracy and a cruel joke.
“Omar Abdullah’s government has almost completely lost its legislative accountability. The Assembly has effectively been reduced to a joke,” Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA from Paddar-Nagsani Sunil Sharma said while addressing a press conference in Jammu.
Criticising the National Conference-led government over the short duration of the upcoming Assembly session, Sharma demanded that the House be convened for at least a month to give legislators adequate time to raise and debate issues concerning the people.
“The Assembly is the platform where people’s issues can be raised and taken up with the elected government, but unfortunately, the ruling National Conference is not ready to take up people’s issues,” he said.
The LoP objected to the Assembly session being restricted to seven sittings, saying this effectively left only a limited number of sittings for legislators to raise public issues.
He observed that by restricting the autumn session of the Assembly to effectively only five substantive sittings, the government had made a mockery of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their expectations.
Sharma also appealed to the Speaker to reconsider the decision and extend the session to approximately 30 days, arguing that the Assembly was the only institutional platform available to elected representatives to raise issues concerning the people.
Sunil Sharma also questioned the functioning of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC), saying it was meant to discuss the business to be taken up during an Assembly session.
Omar hits back at BJP for questioning short Assembly session.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hit back at the BJP’s criticism of the seven-day Autumn Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, saying BJP-ruled states have held even shorter sessions.
Reacting to Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma’s remarks that the government was not serious about public issues, Omar said the Assembly would function from morning to evening during the session scheduled from September 21 to 30, with three non-sitting days.
He said the BJP should first examine the duration of Assembly sessions in states ruled by the party before questioning the J&K government.
10-Day Autumn Session of J&K Assembly to Begin on September 21
The 10-day autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is scheduled to begin in Srinagar on September 21.
According to the provisional calendar issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the session will continue until September 30, with government business, private members’ bills and resolutions scheduled on designated days.
The schedule includes three non-sitting days—September 23 for Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday, September 26 as an off day, and September 27, which is a Sunday. The calendar is subject to change based on the business listed before the House.
Speaker Reviews Preparations for Autumn Session
Meanwhile, Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Abdul Rahim Rather on Tuesday convened a meeting with senior officers to review and finalise arrangements for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming autumn session of the Legislative Assembly, scheduled to commence on September 21, 2026, in Srinagar.
During the meeting, the Speaker emphasised that the successful conduct of the Legislative Session requires close coordination, advance planning and a high degree of administrative preparedness across all concerned departments.
Describing the forthcoming autumn session as a short session carrying a major responsibility, the Speaker stressed that every aspect of the arrangements must be accorded due importance. He cautioned the officers against taking any matter lightly, observing that “small issues can create big problems” if not addressed in time.
The Speaker held detailed discussions on various arrangements and issued necessary directions to the concerned departments. Security arrangements figured prominently during the meeting.
He directed the concerned authorities to ensure comprehensive and foolproof security arrangements at the Assembly Secretariat and MLA Hostel, with emphasis on coordination among all security and administrative agencies.
Regarding legislative business, the Speaker directed the General Administration Department (GAD) to ensure that all concerned departments furnish replies to Assembly questions within the prescribed timelines. He instructed the departments to designate nodal officers for effective coordination with the Legislative Assembly Secretariat so that matters relating to the session are dealt with promptly and efficiently.
The Speaker also reviewed arrangements relating to transportation and parking, directing the concerned authorities to make adequate arrangements to facilitate Members of the Legislative Assembly and minimise inconvenience to the public.
He directed that government bills be submitted to the Assembly Secretariat well in advance to facilitate their timely processing and proper scheduling during the session.
The meeting was also informed about the implementation of the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) on a hybrid model.
The Speaker directed the Information Technology Department to ensure reliable Wi-Fi and internet connectivity, along with all necessary technical support, throughout the session.