35-A

Politicians in Kashmir demand shifting of ASG Tushar Mehta from Article 35-A case

File Photo.

We don’t trust him, says Omar

Srinagar: Vice-president National Conference, Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the politicians who participated in an all-party meeting have called for shifting of additional solicitor general of Jammu and Kashmir Tushar Mehta from Article 35-A for “going beyond his brief”.

While briefing the reporters after the all-party meeting, Omar said that the meeting was called by President of the National Conference, Farooq Abdullah, at his Gupkar residence.

The meeting saw politicians of various political parties who took a stock of security and political situations concerning the valley, Omar said.

“All the leaders in unison decided that the additional solicitor general has crossed his brief. Even the state government has accepted the worry. We don’t trust him. We have all decided that Mr. Tushar Mehta should be taken off the (Article 35A) case when this comes up in January for hearing,” said Omar.

He further added that Mehta was sent to defend the state and the article 35-A case as he was representing state government and not the central government. “We don’t trust him anymore. We demand that the lawyers who were defending it earlier must be brought back to defend the case,” the NC vice president said.

Omar said that Jammu and Kashmir state is under central’s rule and people of J&K are yet to know the position of Union government over the issue of article 35-A.

“We all know state is under governor’s rule which is directly under central government’s control. Since we don’t know the position of the central government on article 35-A issue, we have apprehensions regarding the defense of the case in Supreme Court. We demand that the case should not proceed until J&K has an elected government,” he said.

“We have also decided that we will write to the government that we would want elections to take place first so that there is elected government in the valley and then this case can be defended,” Omar said.

While commenting on Panchayat and Municipal election boycott in Jammu and Kashmir, Omar said that NC has not asked people to boycott.

Omar said that if it is worth to go ahead with the election without the participation of two major parties in the valley, let them go ahead.

During the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, the ASG had said that Article 35A and certain aspects needed to be debated upon and said, “It can’t be denied that there is an aspect of gender discrimination in it (Article 35A)”.

 

Click to comment
To Top