Jammu, Mar 9: Impasse over the resignation of the Legislative Assembly’s Deputy Speaker continues to haunt the ongoing budget session as despite repeated pleas by the government and Speaker Muhammad Akbar Lone, PDP’s Sartaj Madni, who relinquished the post last week, has refused to reconsider his decision.
 Sources said that hectic efforts by the government have led to nowhere on the issue, as Madni was not ready to take back the post and instead asked the Speaker to allot a seat to him on opposition bench so that he can join the proceedings.
 Madni sent a fresh letter to the Speaker on Wednesday requesting him for allotment of seat so that he is in a position to attend the proceedings of the House.
 Madni had tendered his resignation on March 3, after the Speaker in an interview to a Jammu-based daily, accused the former of ‘behaving like spokesperson of PDP in the House”.
 Though his resignation has not been accepted so far, but all efforts to convince him have failed. “I have already resigned and written to the Speaker to allot a new seat to me so that I could join the proceedings but that has not been done yet”, Madni said.
 Immediately after receiving the letter from Madni, the Speaker Muhammad Akbar Lone made a fresh appeal in the House asking the former to return and resume his office.
 “I request him to shun the rigid stance and join the house respecting the democratic ways”, Lone said.
 Intervening in the matter, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Panchayati Raj Ali Muhammad Sagar also asked Madni to take his chair.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST