SRINAGAR : Mehbooba Mufti said on Wednesday that the only institution left in the nation that can guarantee that India is governed in accordance with its Constitution is the Supreme Court.
Her comments were made as the Supreme Court began hearing the petitions challenging the Center’s decision to abolish Article 370, which granted Jammu and Kashmir special status.
She claimed that everyone in the world was watching the Supreme Court hearings while speaking to media at the PDP headquarters in this location.
“The Article 370 hearings before the Supreme Court are being watched by everyone.. Despite having a majority of Muslims, Jammu and Kashmir rejected the idea of two nations based only on religion and allied itself with India. Assuring provisions were made for us by the Constitution. The former chief minister claimed that neither China nor Pakistan nor any other adjacent nation had provided these promises.
The Supreme Court must determine how the nation’s institutions have been corrupted since it is the sole institution with the power to preserve the Constitution.
Because of its overwhelming majority in Parliament, the BJP is not only toying around with the Constitution but also disobeying everything, including SC orders. Following the Delhi judgement by the SC, they introduced an ordinance, which is unconstitutional, she continued.
Mehbooba claimed that in order to preserve the dignity of the Constitution, the Supreme Court will have to take a courageous stance.
“The Supreme Court is the only organisation capable of defending both the Constitution and the country. The question is: Are you willing to take chances?. Is the Supreme Court willing to take chances like the Allahabad High Court did under Indira Gandhi’s administration in 1975? It was her.
She was alluding to the ruling made on June 12, 1975, by Justice Jagmohanlal Singh of the Allahabad High Court, in which the then-prime minister was found guilty of electoral fraud.
The PDP president stated on the Article 370 petitions that the Supreme Court must choose between upholding the Constitution and BJP’s agenda.
“There are only two options: you may either support or reject the Indian Constitution and the safeguards it offers to Jammu and Kashmir’s citizens. I’m referring to the nation itself, not the coalition of the opposition.
“The Supreme Court must decide whether the BJP’s divisive agenda will rule this country or whether it will be governed in accordance with the Indian Constitution, she said.
She claimed that they were attempting to reproduce the Manipur situation across the board.
