Beef Ban Row: JK Govt welcomes SC order

Sensible, farseeing deliberation needed on the issue: Akhtar

Sensible, farseeing deliberation needed on the issue: Akhtar

Srinagar, Oct 05 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Government has welcomed the Supreme Court decision to suspend the order of Jammu wing of J&K High Court on beef ban.
Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar, who is also the State Government Spokesman, Monday said the order of the apex court, which has suspended the order of Jammu wing of High Court for two months, has come as a relief for the government.
Last month, the Jammu wing of the State High Court had ordered the J&K Police to strictly implement the provisions of Ranbir Penal Code which ban the sale and consumption of beef in the state, sparking anguish and protests in the state.
"The apex court order has obviously come as a breather. The urgency created by order of the Jammu wing of HC had caused anguish in the state, but it is gone now. The SC ruling should lower the tempers in the state," Akhtar said.
The Education Minister said that given the sensibilities involved in the issue, there is a need for evolving a consensus on the matter in the legislature.
"We have to carefully tread this path and not do anything that creates bad feelings among the citizens of the state. Even with absolute majorities, previous governments couldn't do much to change the status quo on issues where sensibilities of the people of the state are involved," he said.
The Apex Court Monday suspended for two months the J&K High Court order enforcing a decades-old ban on the sale of beef in J&K, which had sparked protests in the state. The court today asked the Chief Justice of the high court to set up a three-judge bench to go through the issue and find a solution at the earliest.
"We have two conflicting orders and it is required to be solved by the Chief Justice of high court by constituting a three judge bench," said the Chief Justice of India.
Akhtar said the government will wait for the constitution of the larger bench and then take a call on the future course, "A sensible and cool deliberation is needed on the issue by involving all the stakeholders," he said. (KNS)
 

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