Anantnag/Aug,25: Several members of Bar Association Anantnag on Friday staged a protest against the ‘attempts’ to abrogate Article 35-A of the constitution that confers special rights on the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
The lawyers, led by Bar Association president Fayaz Saudagar, marched towards Lal Chowk from District Court complex to register their protest against the scrapping of the article.
Supreme Court of India is hearing three pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35(A), which prohibits a non-J&K resident from buying property in the State and ensures job reservation for J&K residents.
Joint Resistance Leadership comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik on Wednesday asked the Kashmir bar association to hold peaceful protest demonstration against “conspiracies” to scrap the state subject law.
“District bar associations will also hold protests at their respective places on the same day. All civil society members, traders, bodies, religious and social organisations will organise peaceful protests on Saturday (August 26),” they said in a joint statement, adding: “Kashmiri diaspora in UK, USA, Europe, Middle East and Pakistan will organise protests on Sunday (August 27).”
They said the issue (of state subject laws) is a “matter of life and death” for people of J&K.
“This issue is directly related to our right of self-determination and therefore we all need to fight for it with unity and steadfastness. This is a matter of life and death for us and we will spill our blood to safeguard it,” the joint statement read.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and opposition parties have also objected to any tinkering with the article.
They have even warned of a street agitation in the valley against the scrapping of the article.
