India, Sept. 29 -- Hours before the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly took up discussion on the restoration of statehood, an unusual bureaucratic intervention triggered a fresh confrontation between the elected government and the administration.

J&K Chief Secretary Atal Duloo and Law Secretary Achal Sethi sent separate letters to the Assembly Secretariat, arguing that the statehood issue was sub judice and seeking to prevent the resolution from being taken up.

The Assembly ultimately passed it on Monday amid a walkout by BJP legislators.

Speaker questions bureaucratic intervention

Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather questioned the decision by senior bureaucrats to communicate directly with the Assembly Secretariat.

He described the move as ...