New Delhi, Sep 4: The National Conference’s Mohd Akbar Lone should apologise for using the ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ chant in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in 2018. The Centre requested this in a letter to the Supreme Court on Monday.
Lone is the principal petitioner contesting the repeal of Article 370, which granted the former state of Jammu and Kashmir unique status.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, speaking on behalf of the Centre, informed the five-judge panel presided over by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that although Lone is the primary petitioner contesting the repeal of the provision, he must declare his allegiance to the Constitution and offer an apology for raising the slogan on the floor of the House.When Lone’s turn for rejoinder arguments comes, the bench, which also includes Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant, said it will get a statement from him.
The bench declared that it had read the newspaper report and taken note of the arguments raised in court.
“These statements coming from senior leaders have their own effect,” Mehta remarked. If there is no apology issued, it will inspire others. The actions done to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir would be impacted by this.Senior solicitors Rakesh Dwivedi and V Giri, who are representing intervenors and are supporting the abrogation, backed Mehta’s demand that Lone provide an affidavit regretting for using slogans.
A Kashmiri Pandit organisation had questioned Lone’s credentials on September 1 in the highest court, stating that he was a supporter of secessionist movements.
An NGO called “Roots in Kashmir,” which purports to represent a group of Kashmiri Pandit youngsters, has filed an intervention motion with the Supreme Court in an effort to add some new information to the record in the case.
According to the allegation, Lone is well-known for being “a supporter of secessionist forces operating in J-J-K, who support Pakistan.”
