SC to hear plea for governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday agreed to hear a plea seeking imposition of governor’s rule in J&K due to the prevailing law and order situation in the state. A bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur directed that the petition filed by Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) be listed next week.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will consider next week a public interest petition that wants it to impose governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir due to the prevailing law and order situation in the state.
Initially reluctant to entertain the petition, a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur agreed to hear the petition after petitioner’s counsel Bhim Singh made a fervent plea, saying there was total anarchy in the state and governor’s rule was the only option there.
The state has witnessed clashes between the locals and security forces during the past fortnight following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces.
“Can we command the governor to take over the administration?” the bench asked Singh, who is also the founder of J&K National Panthers Party—the petitioner before SC.
The bench suggested that the petition be filed in the J&K high court for appropriate directions, but Singh said it will be difficult to move the HC. Following this, the bench said it would hear the matter next week.
The petition said the state government had virtually imposed “martial law in the Kashmir valley for the past two weeks resulting in demolition of all fundamental rights of the Indian citizens being residents of the state in the entire saffron painted valley of Kashmir”.
“There is literally rule of the gun and the people in the valley have no access to even water taps or to medical stores. The people in J&K have been forced to stay inside their homes without food, medicines or other essential commodities needed for human survival,” it said.