SRI NAGAR: The ruling BJP has stuck to its guns on sensitive beef ban issue in the State by saying that the party favours implementation of the High Court order banning sale of beef, while hardliner separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani provided a major relief to the embattled PDP-BJP coalition government on the issue by asking people not to hurt religious sentiments of other communities on Eid-ul-Adha.
BJP leaders held a meeting in Jammu on Wednesday to discuss the beef ban issue. The meeting was chaired by BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav and attended by all State BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Ministers and party MP and incharge J&K Affairs Avinash Khanna.
BJP insiders said the party leaders discussed in threadbare the beef ban issue and added that the party leaders favoured the ban. Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh had already asserted that the party wanted implementation of the court order in the State in letter and spirit.
A senior BJP leader, who was present in the meeting, said the party ministers and leaders told the Central leaders that they were not consulted by Law Ministry, which is being held by a PDP Minister, over the sacking of two law officers — Parimoksh Seth, the State’s Deputy Advocate General, and Additional Advocate General (AAG), Jammu, Vishal Sharma.
Meanwhile, J&K Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta, a BJP leader, is yet to take any decision on whether to accept or reject bills moved by the Opposition NC and legislators over scrapping the beef ban law and another bill moved by BJP MLA to seek capital punishment for slaughtering of cow.
Since there will be Eid-ul-Adha holidays for three days from Friday (September 25) in the State, the issue is likely to be discussed on September 28.
The PDP too held a party meeting this evening to discuss the beef ban issue. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
In a major relief for the government, hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani asked Muslims of J&K that while sacrificing animals on Eid-ul-Azha, they should adopt a dignified approach for the religious obligation. “The aim of these sacrifices should be to please Allah and it should not hurt the sentiments of any community or done to show anybody down-grade,” he said and urged them not to hurt sentiments of other communities. Geelani said communal forces wanted to convert the struggle into a Muslim-Hindu issue which would overshadow the atrocities and autocratic rule of India in Kashmir.
plea in J&K High Court for liquor ban
Srinagar: After petitions on beef, a religious leader from the Valley has filed a petition in the court seeking a ban on sale of liquor in the State. Sheikh Ghulam Rasool Hami, chairman of religious group Karwani Islami has filed a petition in J&K High Court’s Srinagar wing through his counsels Firdous Parray, Zahoor Malik and Mudasir Naqasbandi against sale of liquor in J&K. He prayed that the court should direct the government to close all liquor shops and ensure rehabilitation of those into liquor business. “Consumption and sale of liquor has not only affected the health of the people but has also lead to various social evils including attacks on chastity of women,” read the petition.