State in no hurry, will present viewpoint as per the constitution: Law Min
The Supreme Court has set a fresh deadline of November 3, 2015 to the State to respond to a petition of the RSS-backed think-tank challenging Article 35A of the Indian Constitution before the Apex Court.
The State government has been given the fresh deadline of November 3 to give its response even though the case is still at the registry stage, officials of the Law department said.
GoI had earlier sent notice to the State government and sought its views after an RSS-backed think-tank ‘Jammu Kashmir Study Centre’ had challenged the constitutional validity of Article 35A.
According to the think-tank, Article 35A confers special rights and privileges on permanent residents of J&K and debars non-residents from buying land or property, getting a government job or voting in the Legislative Assembly elections.
The RSS think-tank had challenged the constitutional validity of Article 35A, claiming “there is no power conferred on the President of India to amend constitution by incorporating any new Article in the constitution.”
Meanwhile, sources said, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Syed Basharat Bukhari held a meeting with Law Secretary, Muhammad Ashraf Mir and Advocate General, Jehangir Iqbal Ganai to finalize the response the State government has to give on the issue to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The sources said the response would soon be sent to the MHA.
Talking to us, the law minister said, “There is no hurry and the State will present its viewpoint as per the constitution.”
Opposition political parties National Conference and Congress have warned of serious ramifications if any attempt was made to weaken Article 35A.
Earlier, former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had urged the State government to take the issue of scrapping of Article 35A seriously and fight it in the Apex Court will all the seriousness.
NC has also reiterated its resolve of opposing any move aimed at weakening the special status of J&K.
NC Provisional President Nasir Aslam Wani said people of Jammu Kashmir wanted to know what the State government’s response was to the petition challenging Article 35 A.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Nirmal Singh’s had said BJP would continue to fight for revocation of Article 370.