Days after the Central government filed a fresh affidavit before the Supreme Court, former Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti called it a lie saying the government has established "peace of the graveyard in Kashmir."
In a fresh affidavit, the Centre defended the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution saying the region has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity. Both Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah said there is no peace in the Valley.
“I saw the government affidavit before the Supreme Court. They have mentioned many things, which have nothing to do with the present government. I was surprised to see the name of those power projects, whose foundation was laid when I was Chief Minister (from 2009 to 2014). But they too were linked with the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. They have mentioned tourism as if before 2019 no tourist would come to Kashmir. They have mentioned peace as if there was no peace in J&K before the abrogation of Article 370. Why don’t you say how new areas got engulfed into militancy after 2019,” Omar said addressing people in Jammu to welcome BJP leader and former MLC Surinder Choudhary, who joined National Conference.
“Why didn’t you mention attacks that took place in Poonch and Rajouri? For the past two years, how minorities have been targeted. Why are you silent about it? You talk about G-20 but you don’t reveal that for holding G-20 you forced the people of Srinagar to stay inside their homes. You had to provide each guest with two to three bulletproof vehicles. You should have mentioned that in the affidavit,” Omar added.
Targeting the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, who often criticises regional political parties, Omar described the LG as a “king without a crown.” “Why don’t you write when our king without crown Lt Governor of J&K steps out for 15 minutes, the road is closed. I remember when I was Chief Minister and I was going to the secretariat, our vehicles would stop near traffic lights. My ministers would stop at traffic lights. Today, when Lt Governor moves out, roads are closed in Srinagar. This does happen even in Delhi when the Prime Minister steps out,” Omar said.
Linking Lt Governor’ cavalcade with the Central government’s affidavit Omar said, “On one side you say the situation is fine, if so then why don’t you ride cycles that you have kept on Srinagar roads? What is truth, the one you filed before the apex court or the one which we see every day on the roads? That you don’t step out on Srinagar roads without closing the roads for people. Either you draw pleasure by closing the roads or the situation is so bad that closing roads is your compulsion. If the situation is so bad and it is your compulsion, then whatever you filed before the apex court is a lie,” Omar said.
Omar said a number of officials tried to force Surinder Choudhary not to join the NC. “I wonder what has happened to these officials. Why are you playing politics in Jammu and Kashmir?”
Addressing a separate function at the PDP office, Mehbooba Mufti said the affidavit indicates that the BJP had no legal argument for its “assault on the Constitution of India.” “The argument of the BJP that the situation has improved in J&K is like when a goon enters into someone’s home and beats up the family members, threatens them into silence and then says everything is peaceful in the home and there is no noise. The BJP has turned Jammu and Kashmir into a jail. Journalists are being threatened and some of them have been put in jails under the UAPA. Even religious leaders are not spared,” Mehbooba said. “Open a newspaper and every day you see NIA raid, SIA raid, and other raids, we don’t see any other development in J&K. Every day there are raids. And despite such oppression, the impression is created before the Supreme Court that everything is fine,” the former CM added. Mehbooba said the government has ensured “silence of graveyard in Kashmir” and despite petitions pending before the apex court, the government has amended many laws taking away land and jobs from the residents of J&K. The PDP president said she expects the judiciary will take a legal decision in the case of Article 370 rather than respecting sentiments. “We want the decision should do justice with the Constitution,” she added. She said Article 370 in view of the past judgements of the SC was permanent, not temporary.
The Centre submitted a fresh affidavit before the five-Judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud saying "since 2019, the entire region has witnessed an unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity." The Centre has said life has returned to normalcy in the region after over three decades of turmoil. The Centre has said schools, colleges, universities, hospitals and other public institutions are functioning efficiently without any strikes or any kind of disturbances during the past three years. The earlier practice of daily hartals, strikes, stone pelting and bandhs are things of the past now.
On August 5, 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government abrogated Article 370 and split Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh - amid a communication blockade, and the arrest of thousands of people including three former Chief Ministers, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and Omar Abdullah.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would begin day-to-day hearings from August 2 on petitions pertaining to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. The SC also said it will not rely upon the contents of an affidavit filed by the Centre saying, the affidavit has no bearing on the questions of the constitutional challenge in these petitions.
