KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Urging judiciary to exhibit great caution while adjudicating on issues pertaining to faith and religion, senior PDP politician and Member Parliament, Tariq Hameed Karra Sunday said the sensitive religious matters should be left to the teachings of holy books and the preaching of Prophets and judiciary has no right to intrude into that domain.
“The recent High Court order aimed at restraining sale of beef in the State is a case in point where the judiciary should have taken a principled stand to leave the matter to the Islamic jurisprudence instead of trying to fish in troubled waters,” Karra said in a statement.
Karra said, “the State has paid and is still paying a huge price by witnessing a tragic phase of death and destruction following a similar imprudent action in eighties by the then Governor, Mr Jagmohan, and it can’t afford another gory phase with disastrous consequences.”
“By banning sale of meat during Janamashtami, the then Governor Mr Jagmohan not only provoked then Mirwaiz of South Kashmir, Qazi Nisar to defy the thoughtless diktat publicly, but fuelled a wave of alienation among the people that was followed by eruption of devastating turmoil,” he said and added that the State and its people dread such a scenario in future.
Karra said, “in a democratic and secular society it is the fundamental right of a person to eat, drink and wear what he/she likes and nobody, not even judiciary, can impose its writ on the fundamental rights of the people.”
“Every religion including Islam has a set code of conduct on all such matters and nobody has the right to infringe upon the tenets of a religion,” he said and added that the judiciary should immediately revisit its order on beef before the issue snowballs into any major controversy with ruinous consequences.
Accusing National Conference of playing murky politics over the issue, Karra said, “if NC leaders are today talking of bringing a resolution in the Legislature to amend Section 298A of RPC, according to which intentional killing or slaughtering of a cow or similar animal (including ox and buffalo) is a cognizable, non-bailable offense punishable with 10 years’ imprisonment and fine, what were they doing for the past six decades when they were in power for most of the time.” “Why didn’t they get the law amended then,” he questioned.
