Amid growing unease over the upcoming hearing of a crucial case in the Supreme Court related to Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in the Constitution of India, the influential corridors on Tuesday remained busy in discussing the emerging situation.
While Governor NN Vohra was briefed by Advocate General DC Raina about “important cases relating to J&K pending in the SC”, separatist leaders met at Hurriyat Conference headquarters at Rajbagh to “discuss threats posed to Article 35 A of the Constitution.”
The Apex court is slated to hear the petition on August 6 by an RSS-backed NGO challenging the special status of J&K. The political parties in Kashmir cutting across ideological differences have resented efforts to tamper with the unique position of the State.
The separatists have issued a shutdown call for two days starting August 5 against the “efforts to temper with the demography of the State”.
Joint Resistance leadership (JRl), a grouping of influential separatist leaders has threatened to launch a stir against the effort. The influential trade bodies of Kashmir and lawyers have supported the shudtdown call.
On Tuesday, Hurriyat Conference leaders held a meeting at Rajbagh headquarters. In a statement issued later, the Hurriyat said the motive behind the petition was to change the demographic character of J&K by turning its original citizens into a minority through settling outsiders here and hence undo its internationally recognised disputed nature and the need to resolve that dispute.
Hurriyat said that no court whether in India or in Pakistan has any jurisdiction to take decisions that can in any way affect the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir as its original citizens are yet to exercise the right to determine their final dispensation as promised by scores of UN resolutions and backed by India and Pakistan.