Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah question govt.’s normalcy narrative in Jammu and Kashmir
The Hindu
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah questioned the normalcy narrative portrayed in the latest affidavit filed by the Centre before the Supreme Court
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on July 12 questioned the normalcy narrative of the government.
“The latest affidavit submitted by the government to the Supreme Court only vindicated our [PDP] stand that the BJP had no legal grounds to abrogate Article 370. The act was carried out by trampling the Constitution,” Ms. Mufti told the media in Srinagar.
She also questioned the normalcy narrative portrayed in the latest affidavit and accused the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor’s administration of hosting Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud and around 200 judges recently in Srinagar “to influence their perceptions”.
Also read | Centre’s view on life in J&K post-Article 370 has no bearing on constitutional challenge to abrogation: Supreme Court
“The CJI was hosted in J&K recently to portray the silence of graveyards as normalcy. However, I have faith in the integrity of the CJI. He must have gauged the real situation. I hope the SC’s verdict will take into consideration the sentiments of locals and not use the collective conscience as an alibi to pass a judgment, as was done in the past. Article 370 is the identity of J&K and provides protection to identities like Kashmiri, Dogri and Buddhists etc.,” Ms. Mufti said.
Ms. Mufti expressed hope for a “favourable verdict”. “The previous court judgments have already made it clear that the Constituent Assembly of J&K only could have recommended the abrogation of Article 370, which was not the case,” she said.
She added that the Centre was introducing and changing laws frequently in Jammu and Kashmir despite the Article 370 case being sub-judice.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.
The 16th edition of Bhoomi Habba was held on June 8, at the Visthar campus. The festival drew a vibrant crowd who came together to celebrate eco-consciousness through a variety of engaging activities, creative workshops, panel discussions, interactive exhibits and performances, all centered around this year’s theme: “Save Water, Save Lives.”