Hearing a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of beef ban in the state, High Court has issued notice to PDP-BJP government led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and asked the state to file its response within one week.
The division bench comprising of Justice MY Mir, and Justice BL Bhat, has made it clear, that in case the state legislature wants to repeal or amend the law, the petition shall not be of any hindrance to the same. The petition was filed by Prof Sayed Afzal Qadri, a former faculty of Kashmir University’s Law Department.
“The government has to file its reply within one week, whether they support the ban or accept that ban is against fundamental rights of people," Advocate Faisal Qadri, lawyer of the petitioner, told KNS.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
He said the petition has challenged the constitutional validity of the provisions of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which makes the slaughter of bovine animals and sale and purchase of beef, a punishable offence in the state and can be jailed upto 10 years under certain sections.
Earlier, independent legislator Engineer Rashid introduced a bill in the state assembly to scrap the 1932 law. Omar Abdullah led National Conference has also decided to move a bill to bring changes in the law. (KNS)