Individual choices should not be dictated by State: Spokesperson
SRINAGAR: National Conference Chief Spokesperson, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Friday, said that the abject failure of the Mufti government to respond to a PIL seeking ban to the sale of beef in the State was its sheer incompetence or worse part of a sinister plan.
Since the inception of the PDP-BJP Government led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the J&K National Conference has time and again warned about a concerted effort being made to divide the State on regional and communal lines, he said.
He said the High Court in its interim order dated 8th September 2015 had observed that an appropriate response was not filed by the government to the PIL number 24 of 2014 filed before the Jammu bench of the Honorable High Court. This has given rise to an explosive situation and has deeply hurt the sentiments of the majority community, Mehdi said.
The people of J&K, he said, have acceded to a secular India and not to a theocratic State. In a multi-religious country like India, religious beliefs of every community have to be respected and protected, he said. This is enshrined in our constitution under Article 25. Certain choices are determined by religious beliefs and cannot and also should not be dictated by the State.
The spokesperson said National Conference sees the selective banning as regressive and part of a broader design to foment communal discord. We appeal to all sections of the society to respect the spirit of the constitution and provide enough space to all religions to follow their beliefs, he said.
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