‘Identify sleeper cells of militants to maintain peace’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 14: J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu held a protest demonstration at the District Court Complex here over hike in prices of petrol, diesel and other essential commodities, recent militants attack at Jhajjar Kotli and organized attack by some political parties on the independent functioning of the judiciary by protesting in streets against the case which is pending in the Supreme Court.
Addressing the protesters, President of the Bar Association Senior Advocate B S Slathia said, “hike in the prices of essential commodities including petrol, diesel, vegetables and other eatables is badly affecting the people of the country but the present dispensation has totally failed to control and arrest the tendency”.
“It is a matter of great pride for all of us that the security forces have very bravely countered the recent militants attack at Jhajjar Kotli and succeeded in eliminating all of them”, he said and cautioned the authorities to identify the sleeper cells which are active in an around Jammu so that the peaceful atmosphere is maintained and not allowed to be vitiated at the instance of supporters of such like elements.
He further stated that the Association is on record in cautioning the authorities for identifying the sleeper cells in Jammu when the Army Camp Sunjwan was attacked in February 2018 by the militants from across the border. “The activities of these sleeper cells require to be dealt with by the authorities seriously to avoid such attacks”, he added.
He further stated that some Kashmir centric political parties instead of participating in the local bodies and Panchayat elections are busy in campaigning to boycott the elections, which runs contrary to the basic concept of democracy. “It is astonishing that the reasons put forth by these political parties to boycott the elections are being attributed to any attempt in tinkering with Article 35-A of the Constitution of India notwithstanding the fact that the issue pertaining to the legality of its introduction in the Constitution of India by a Presidential order dated 14-05-1954, is already pending and being examined by the Supreme Court”, he said.
The Bar president urged the Supreme Court to take judicial notice of the protests being carried out by the political parties by misleading the people of the State for retention of Article 35-A of the Constitution of India and initiate suo-moto action in exercise of its contempt jurisdiction to nip the evil in the bud otherwise it shall be detrimental to the independent functioning of the judiciary.
Babu Ram Sharma, a senior member of the Bar Association and former Vice President also addressed the gathering and lauded the role of the security forces in countering the militants attack.
Prominent among others who were present in the protest were Sachin Gupta, Vice President, Prem Sadotra, General Secretary, Himanshu Sharma Joint Secretary, Chetan Misri, Treasurer, Daljeet Singh Manhas (President YLA) and Pardeep Majotra (Vice President YLA).
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