Separatists call for 'mass agitation' if SC delivers verdict against Article 35A
Three separatist leaders on Sunday urged the people of Kashmir to launch a "mass agitation" if the Supreme Court delivered a verdict in favour of pleas seeking the repeal of Article 35A and said any effort to "tinker with" a state subject law will create "a Palestine- like situation".
In a joint statement here, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik urged the people to "launch a mass agitation if the Supreme Court delivered a verdict against the interests and aspirations of the people of the state".
The matter is expected to come before the Supreme Court shortly. The Article relates to special rights and privileges of the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
Article
35A,
added
to
the
Indian
Constitution
by
a
Presidential
Order
in
1954,
also
empowers
the
state's
legislature
to
frame
laws
without
attracting
a
challenge
on
grounds
of
violating
the
Right
to
Equality
of
people
from
other
states
or
any
other
right
under
the
Constitution.
"Any move to tinker with a state subject law will create a Palestine-like situation," the leaders said.
They asked the people to prepare for protests against any change in the law that bars people from outside Jammu and Kashmir from acquiring immoveable property in the state.
"A conspiracy has been hatched to change the demography of the Muslim-majority state," they claimed and urged scholars and writers to make people aware of the consequences if the state subject law was repealed.
People from all corners of state will "come on the roads and resist" any attempt made to modify Article 35A, they said.
"We are watching the developments and soon a line of action and programme will be announced," they said.
PTI