Srinagar, Sept. 30 -- A political row has erupted over J&K's law and chief secretaries writing to the Speaker, without the chief minister's knowledge, to oppose the statehood resolution, with the issue reverberating both inside and outside the House on Tuesday. The issue rocked the House, with many legislators, except those from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lashing out at the officers for what they described as undermining democracy. While replying to the debate on the statehood resolution in the assembly, chief minister Omar Abdullah had Monday said that law secretary and chief secretary had opposed the statehood resolution without informing him. "Would you ask them on whose directions these letters were written? I am the law minister, and this opinion has reached you without me knowing," he said. Speaking on the issue during zero hour on Tuesday, Congress leader Nizamuddin Bhat said that after the formation of the Union territory, the powers of the government may have been limited, but not those of the assembly. He termed the writing of letters by the bureaucrats as an 'anomaly' and 'unconstitutional'. "I want to understand, as an MLA, can officers act without consulting the government? There is a council of ministers, the CM, and he has the mandate of the people. Should the (officer) be allowed to dare to challenge the dignity and authority of this House?" he said. Ruling National Conference leader and MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq also lashed out at the bureaucracy. "That is precisely why J&K needs its statehood back," he said on X. People's Conference president Sajad Lone,while talking to media outside the assembly, said "The assembly's powers may have been eroded, but the fact remains that it represents the collective will of the people of J&K." However, the BJP leaders found nothing amiss. Leader of Opposition, Sunil Sharma, said that the Speaker should step down, while the chief minister should apologise for allowing such a resolution to be discussed and passed. "The letters have made clear that the proceedings in the house yesterday (passing of the statehood resolution, with reference to autonomy, and special status resolutions) were unconstitutional," he said. As soon as the assembly convened for the sixth day, BJP members protested against the passing of the statehood resolution. "We sought removal of the Speaker based on the passing of an unconstitutional resolution. The Speaker has also received the opinion of the law secretary terming the resolution unconstitutional. I leave it to his conscience," Sharma said. This angered the treasury benches, which raised slogans of 'vote theft' against the BJP. As the question hour resumed, the BJP staged a walkout....