Speaker vows action against journalist for viral video of MLA ‘watching reels’ in Assembly
NC MLA denies watching reels in House, Speaker says defaulter will face consequences
SRINAGAR, Oct 31: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather on Friday assured that necessary and lawful action will be taken against a journalist who uploaded a video on social media allegedly showing National Conference MLA from Karnah, Javaid Mirchal, “watching reels” on his mobile phone during the House proceedings.
The controversy erupted after a video clip went viral on Thursday, purportedly showing the MLA scrolling through his phone while the Assembly was in session. The clip, uploaded by a journalist, quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing widespread attention. According to reports, the post on the concerned media portal’s Facebook page alone attracted over 63,000 views, sparking both amusement and criticism among netizens.
Raising the issue on the floor of the House Friday morning, MLA Mirchal expressed his anguish, clarifying that he was merely scrolling through his phone and not watching videos as alleged. “A journalist recorded me during the session and uploaded the video claiming I was wasting time. The post has gone viral, and I have been receiving calls from my constituents. I could not sleep the entire night because of this false portrayal,” he said emotionally.
Joining the discussion, National Conference MLA from Gurez, Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi, suggested that the House should consider moving a privilege motion against the journalist for recording and misrepresenting the conduct of a legislator during proceedings.
Responding to the concerns raised by the members, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather took serious note of the matter and assured the House that “appropriate action” will be taken against the journalist responsible. “I assure all members that necessary steps will be initiated against the defaulter as per the rules,” the Speaker said.
