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Will like to give govt more time to restore normalcy, says SC
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it would like to give the government some more time to
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it would like to give the government some more time to restore normalcy in the region.
Adjourning hearing on a petition filed by a journalist Anuradha Bhasin, who sought relaxation on mobile, landline, Internet services and movement of journalists in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said, “We would like to give it a little time. I have read in papers that the landlines will be restored by evening.”
This order came after Attorney General of India KK Venugopal told the Supreme Court that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir will improve further over the next few days and the litigants should not jump the gun to knock on the top court’s doors with petitions.
Defending the government curbs, Venugopal argued that “day after day restrictions are being lifted in Kashmir. In next few days situation will be settled and litigants should not jump the gun in filing petition in the Supreme Court”.
Bhasin, the executive editor of Kashmir Times, filed a petition in the top court last week challenging the restrictions in the region.
Advocate Vrinda Grover argued on Friday that “there is curtailment of movement and information blackout that has taken place in Jammu and Kashmir. Press card should be respected; media curbs must be lifted as media is the fourth pillar of democracy.”
This petition will now be listed in the court for hearing along with six other petitions that have been filed challenging government clampdown in Kashmir and legality of revoking article 370.
On Tuesday, another bench of the Supreme Court – of justices Arun Mishra, MR Shah and Ajay Rastogi - refused to interfere with government actions after Venugopal submitted that “steps have been taken to ensure lease amount of human rights violations take place” and told the court that the “situation is improving stage by stage”.
The three-judge bench was hearing a petition by activist Tehseen Poonawala for lifting restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta raised an objection to the court hearing Bhasin’s petition saying, “Security agencies are taking stock of the situation daily. Instead of SC examining the matter, security agencies should be trusted and court should let them handle the situation as they are the ones on the ground.”
The court also took exception to a petition on the Kashmir issue by advocate ML Sharma, saying it was badly drafted. “What kind of a petition is this ? What is the prayer or pleadings? I tried to read it for 30 minutes but could not make anything of it. In a matter of this magnitude you are filing such a petition?” Gogoi said the petition. The court, however, permitted Sharma to amend the petition.
