Srinagar: The mainstream political parties reacted cautiously to the Supreme Court (SC) deferring the hearing on the petition challenging Article 35-A, saying the anxiety and apprehensions among people continued in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The deferment of the hearing on petition challenging Article 35-A doesn’t remove the sense of anxiety and the apprehensions in J&K,” an National Conference (NC) spokesperson wrote on twitter.
He said in the absence of the Central Government defending the Article through a counter affidavit – the challenge to the State’s special status remains.
Meanwhile, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said even though the deferment of hearing on Article 35 A is not a solution, it has brought interim relief to the people of JK.
However, she said with uncertainty looming over its status, it has unleashed a wave of anxiety and panic amongst the people of J&K.
Ms Mehbooba said today people cutting across party lines and other affiliations are united in their fight against any dilution of Article 35-A. “As I have already stated before, fiddling with J&Ks special status will have catastrophic ramifications for the entire country,” she added.
Welcoming deferment of the hearing, senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, however, said apprehensions prevailed in the state as uncertainty still loomed over the status of Article 35-A.
“We welcome the deferment of the hearing on petition challenging Article 35-A for the time being. But, finally we will have to contest it in the Supreme Court, which we will do,” he told UNI.
He said the people have to be alert and be serious while defending the Article in the apex court.
Expressing confidence that no one will be able to dilute or abrogate Article 35-A, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said the issue is being propagated by BJP only for vote-bank politics in view of 2019 Parliament elections. “The Supreme Court (SC) has in the past as well quashed such petitions challenging Article 35-A. I’m confident that the apex court will consider previous ruling in such cases and once again dismiss the petitions challenging Article 35-A,” he told UNI.
“Modi-government has nothing to show in terms of work done by his government. The 2019 General Elections are approaching… Hence, BJP is raising this issue only to divert the minds of people. It is nothing more than that. SC will trash these petitions, we are confident about that,” he added.
Meanwhile, normal life remained crippled for the second successive day as shop and business establishments were closed and traffic was off the roads in Kashmir valley due to a two-day strike called by separatists till Monday to protest alleged attempts being made to abrogate Article 35-A.
However, the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of the case till the week starting from August 27. A number of writ petitions had been filed challenging Article 35 A, which empowers the Jammu and Kashmir state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state. The Article provides special rights and privileges to the permanent residents of the state.
A two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra and comprising Justice A M Khanwilkar, said, “We would hear the matter in the week starting from August 27. “A three-judge bench would determine whether the matter is required to be referred to a five-judge bench,” it added.
