Former Law Minister and National Conference (NC) General Secretary, Ali Muhammad Sagar Monday termed the assertion made by Law Minister, Abdul Haq Khan over Supreme Court (SC) verdict as something one can only “laugh at”.Talking to KNS, Sagar said that instead of going for a review of the case, the state’s Law Minister is claiming that such decision would strengthen the Article 370 in the state but unfortunately that is not.“Such decision is bound to weaken the Article 370. I believe the Law Minister’s assertion over the SC verdict is laughable as the state Jammu and Kashmir is a semi sovereign state and has its own constitution,” he said.Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan had said that the recent Supreme Court judgment on SARFEASI act is an achievement for the State.“Under Article 370 Jammu and Kashmir enjoy “Special Status” within constitution of India. Article 370 is subservient to Indian Constitution. So it is clarified that Jammu and Kashmir enjoy special status within the constitution of India and is not sovereign in itself,” he had added.
Meanwhile, Sagar said that the state government has failed to defend the case in Supreme Court. “What could be sluggishness of the current regime as the Advocate General of the government who was bound to ensure his presence during the plea of the case was absent,” he said.“I believe that the government has done this job intentionally. The government didn’t defend the case the way they should have, which is unfortunate,” he said, adding that if the state government is serious over the matter then they must take steps in this regard immediately.While referring to the SC verdict, Sagar said that the judgment given by the division Bench of SC is totally disappointing as it is an attempt to erode the Article 370 in the state.“The SC verdict is violation of Article 370. The state government is responsible over such happening. One among the coalition partners (BJP) is against Article 370 and now the government is taking judicial route to erode Article 370,” he accused.The senior NC legislator who represents Khanyar constituency in the Assembly said they (NC) has always raised their voice over such things and at the time when the case was pleaded during their tenure, the Advocate General went to the court along with his full team to defend the case, which the current regime has failed to do. (KNS)