March 01
Calling the recent ordinance passed by Government of India as a violation of Article 370, the National Conference has said that it is consulting legal experts on the issue.
Omar Abdullah, the vice president of the party has warned India to not tinker with the special status of Jammu Kashmir. “The situation in Kashmir will turn into flames, if special status of Jammu Kashmir is touched,” he tweeted.
Later on Thursday Omar Abdullah strongly calling the ordinance passed by the Government as objectionable said, “Governor has no power to give concurrence to application of a Constitutional Provision. It is only an elected Government.”
Legal experts informed The Kashmiriyat that the ordinance proposed by the Governor and passed by the Centre is unconstitutional and is a clear violation of Article 370. “We cannot trust the Government ahead of elections, they can go to any level to strengthen their vote Bank,” Advocate Mujeeb, a senior lawyer told The Kashmiriyat.
He said that the Government has proven that they are ready to amend the special status of Jammu Kashmir without the consent of elected representatives of People of Jammu Kashmir. Tomorrow, they can go to any level
Muzammil Jaleel, Prominent Journalist wrote on his Facebook that the intent of the Government is clear. “Let us see how NC and PDP respond to this unconstitutional ordinance,” Muzammil asked.
Meanwhile Sources within the National Conference upon being contacted by The Kashmiriyat said that the party is planning to fight this unconstitutional ordinance and come out on the streets. “The Leaders and workers of NC will come out on the streets to demand a revocation of the order,” he said.
Senior NC leader, Bashir Ahmed Veeri told The Kashmiriyat that the party leadership will fight this bill legally. “We will try to get a stay on the ordinance passed by the Government of Jammu Kashmir.”
He said that the Governor of Jammu Kashmir needs to accept that he is not a man of the Kashmiri public. “He is not chosen by the people of Jammu Kashmir, but he is selected the president of India, he cannot demand any amendments.”
He confirmed that the party will hold a Token protest on Saturday to denounce the ordinance. “Our party will do anything to prevent the special status of Jammu Kashmir, we have never compromised with our stance and we never will,” the NC leader told The Kashmiriyat.
These Reactions came after the Government on Thursday gave its nod to the promulgation of an ordinance for giving reservation benefits to SCs and STs in Jammu Kashmir by amending a clause of the contentious Article 370, which gives special status to the state.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
Prominent journalists and citizens took to social media and said that the amendment was a clear violation of Artcile 370.
Mujtaba, a social media user said, “Government has made it clear, today they amended a small clause, tomorrow they will amend it further and then, they might just abrogate it. He said it is time for regional parties to step up rather than maintaining that it is a ‘rumour.’’