Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Government has welcomed the Supreme Court decision to suspend the order of Jammu wing of J&K High Court on beef ban for two months.
Education Minister and chief spokesman of the State government, Naeem Akhtar said the order of the apex court has come as a relief for the government. “The Apex Court order has obviously come as a breather. The urgency created by order of the Jammu wing of High Court had caused anguish in the state, but it is gone now. The SC ruling should lower the tempers in the state," Mr Akhtar said.
He also said that given the sensibilities involved in the issue, there is a need for evolving a consensus on the matter in the legislature. "We have to carefully tread this path and not do anything that creates bad feelings among the citizens of the state. Even with absolute majorities, previous governments couldn't do much to change the status quo on issues where sensibilities of the people of the state are involved," he said.
Akhtar said the government will wait for the constitution of the larger bench of the J&K High Court and then take a call on the future course, "A sensible and cool deliberation is needed on the issue by involving all the stakeholders," he said.
Earlier former Chief Minister and working president of Opposition National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, castigating the present incumbent Muhammad Syeed for “surrendering the powers of Jammu and Kashmir Legislate and weakening the autonomy of the state”, said that involving Supreme Court on an issue of beef ban which State Legislature has ample power to decide, is “most unfortunate and dangerous trend let loose by PDP”.
He told reporters that Mr. Sayeed in his last term as Chief Minister of the State also referred Women Permanent Resident Bill to Supreme Court which is still pending there. "Mufti wants same fate for beef ban issue to seek time to complete his term in office", Mr. Abdullah. He said his party will take all possible means to safe guard the powers and rights of the people and J&K Legislature. "We will fully expose PDP's double game plan and deceitful policy for lust of power", he said.
