'I am proud RSS member but inside J&K Assembly, I am just Speaker'

Srinagar: Facing the opposition charge of being "RSS man", Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta on Monday said he is proud to be RSS member but when inside the House, he is just the Speaker.

"It is a matter of pride that I am an RSS member but here I am the Speaker only," Gupta said responding to a volley of heated verbals hurled at him by NC's Nagrota MLA Devender Singh Rana.

"Stop acting like an RSS man. Your are the Speaker of this House, the custodian of the House," Rana shouted amidst din of sloganeering by other opposition members.

The opposition NC and Congress members were on their feet demanding suspension of the Question Hour to start a debate issues including beef ban, tax on chopper services to pilgrimage places and rehabilitation of flood victims.

Rana was agitated by Gupta's remarks asking the NC MLA to clear his position on beef ban in the state.

Gupta's admission of his RSS affiliation provoked more sloganeering against the Speaker with the opposition MLAs shouting "RSS Speaker, hai hai (down with RSS speaker)".

The development led to several NC MLAs storming the Well of the House before being marshalled out by Assembly staff.

The unruly scenes prompted the Speaker to adjourn the house -- which was earlier adjourned twice -- for the day.

Earlier last week, a controversy had erupted after certain comments by Gupta over moves to scrap beef ban law, with NC leader and former chief minister Omar Adullah saying he is "biased".

Gupta had reportedly said he will not allow any bill aimed at scrapping beef ban to be tabled in the Assembly session that began on October 3.