Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 1: National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah today hoped that the NDA would reconsider the implementation of three new criminal laws in the country.
Abdullah told reporters at the party headquarters here today that these laws were not reviewed as expected after the Lok Sabha elections due to the NDA Government’s continuation.
Click here to watch video
“We have already expressed our apprehensions about these laws. Although it is said that no law is inherently bad, its application determines whether it is beneficial or harmful,” he said.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Omar said that these laws can be changed; they are human-made. He voiced longstanding concerns of the NC about the potential misuse of these laws. “The problem lies in the way the laws are used.”
“These laws have a higher potential for misuse compared to existing laws. We have observed that Governments often misuse laws when given the opportunity. We hoped that after these elections, a new Government would be formed so that we could reconsider these laws. However, since this Government is not the BJP Government and lacks a majority, it is the NDA Government. We hope that NDA members will make efforts to reconsider these laws, as they are man-made and subject to change. There needs to be careful consideration of these laws”, he said.
He expressed apprehension that Jammu and Kashmir might be the first to bear the brunt of these laws before their nationwide impact.
“Everything begins in Jammu and Kashmir, and we are concerned about this fact. All laws are initially applied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and then affect the rest of the country, which we must endure. As the PM mentioned, there will be Assembly elections here. After that, a new Government of the people will be established, and then we will see how these laws will be applied in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said.
On the permission granted to jailed Kashmiri leader Engineer Rashid to take oath as MP, Abdullah lamented that while Rashid would take the oath, the people of Baramulla constituency would still lack representation.
“The NIA has given consent, and he will take the oath in the Speaker’s room, but it is unfortunate that the people of Baramulla will not have their representative, and he will not be able to represent them,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
