Jammu&Kashmir: Separatists start 2 day strike ahead of SC hearing of Article 35A

On Saturday the regional parties PDP and the National Conference also took out protest rallies on Saturday ahead of the August 6 SC hearing on the petitions challenging Article 35A of the Constitution conferring special rights to JK residents.

New Delhi: Separatists have called for a two-day shutdown across Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday and Monday protesting moves to scrap Article 35A of the constitution which confers special status to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. ''JRL (Joint Resistance Leadership) met to deliberate serious challenge posed to Art (Article) 35A, want to make it clear to GOI (Government of India) any and every attempt made at changing the demographic nature of the state will be stiffly resisted'', moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said in a tweet. JRL, a unified front of the separatists comprises Mirwaiz, hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik. Mirwaiz said the separatists were in touch with all the sections of the society including legal fraternity, traders, civil society and academia. On Saturday the regional parties PDP and the National Conference also took out protest rallies on Saturday ahead of the August 6 SC hearing on the petitions challenging Article 35A of the Constitution, due to which people who hail from outside state do not get facilities like government jobs and education. The apex court is hearing a batch of petitions in the matter, including the one filed by an RSS-linked NGO 'We the Citizens', seeking quashing of the article. The separatists and mainstream leaders have called for dismissing the PIL before the Supreme Court. The Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday approached the apex court seeking adjournment of the hearing, citing local body elections in the state. Article 35-A, which was incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, accords special rights and privileges to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and denies property rights to a woman who marries a person from outside the state. The provision, which leads such women from the state to forfeit their right over property, also applies to their heirs. The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP said the party was open to a debate over Article 35A of the Constitution, which confers special status to permanent residents of the state, as protests continued against the August 6 Supreme Court hearing on petitions challenging the provision. "The BJP is open to a debate with anyone or any political party on whether or not Article 35A is in the interest of the people of the state. We are extending an open invitation," the state BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters.