SC asks Centre for status report
The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to file a status report on the ground realities prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir which is facing violence for the last three weeks.
A bench of Chief Justice T. S. Thakur and Justices A. M. Kanwilkar and D. Y. Chandrachud sought the report from the Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar after hearing Prof. Bhim Singh, appearing for National Panthers Party, seeking imposition of Governor’s rule in the State.
Prof. Bhim Singh, made a strong plea seeking intervention of the Supreme Court to advice the Governor to impose Governor Rule in the state in the interest of security, safety and defense of the State of J& K as Kashmir Valley has been facing grave situation for the past three weeks.
He said that the people of Kashmir Valley have been suffering for want of drinking water, medicines and there are no public utility or service centres or even the public places opened for public.
He said the people of the Valley have been living under the shadow of guns and terror for the past three weeks since July 8 when three militants were killed in a house.
The Chief Justice warned Prof. Bhim Singh not to politicise the situation, which he said changes within hours. He said “Your political issues should not be fought in the court” to which Prof. Bhim Singh strongly reacted saying that it is not me or my party which is fighting against the national interest. He said that the innocent Kashmiries are being brutalized and shot like pigeons by the loaded pellets fired by the police against all national and international norms and such practice is against the principle of non- violence that India has been spreading to the entire world. He said he visited AIIMS and met the young boys with pellet injuries in the hospital.
The angry Chief Justice who hails from J& K warned Prof. Bhim Singh of dire consequences if his statement proved wrong. Counsel told the court that that he ( Bhim Singh) is prepared that he shall be happy to spend rest of his life in jails if his submission before this court is proved wrong or faulty. Thereafter the bench sought the status report from the Centre.