SRINAGAR — February 9, 2026:- The Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, announced on Monday that he will launch a formal investigation into allegations regarding the unauthorized use of a microphone within the House.
The controversy erupted after National Conference (NC) legislators accused People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para of using a personal or hidden microphone during proceedings. Speaker Rather directed the Assembly Secretariat to thoroughly examine the matter, vowing that appropriate action would be taken in accordance with parliamentary rules.
The issue was brought to the floor by NC MLA Altaf Wani, who claimed that Para was caught using the device and subsequently handed it over to his party colleague, Muntazir Mehdi, once the act was noticed.
Expressing his disappointment, Speaker Rather characterized such behavior as “childish” and a direct affront to the dignity of the House. “It is very sad,” the Speaker remarked, questioning whether the situation would necessitate the frisking of members before they enter the chambers to maintain decorum.
In response to the accusations, PDP MLA Mir Muhammad Fayaz dismissed the claims as baseless, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Speaker, who advised him not to “defend the indefensible.”
Further intensifying the scrutiny, NC’s Saifullah Mir (Kaloo) urged the Speaker to review the recorded speeches of Para and other MLAs to identify any technical discrepancies in audio quality that might substantiate the claims of unauthorized equipment.
