Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) today alleged that the the PDP-BJP government was hatching a "deep-rooted" conspiracy to abrogate sections of the Ranbir Penal Code, which criminalise bovine slaughter in the state.
"There is a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the PDP-BJP government for abrogating Section 298-A and Section 298-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which criminalises slaughter of bovines in the state", JKNPP Chairman Harsh Dev Singh told reporters here today.
Accusing the BJP of conniving with its coalition partner to scrap the beef-related legislation, he alleged "the cabal becomes abundantly clear when the PDP-BJP government orders the removal of Vishal Sharma additional Advocate General (AAG) from the prestigious Home Department obviously for failing to defend its stand in the High Court on the issue with the BJP silently acquiescing in the act and quietly ratifying the same".
The former minister said that replacement of Sharma by Wasim Nargal advocate, who "toes the PDP line", is the "first step in the direction".
Harsh said that in furtherance of its "sinister" move, the PDP-led government has further filed a state-sponsored writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of Sec 298 A and Sec 298 B of the RPC with a one week notice to the state from the Srinagar Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for filing its reply.
"With the petitioner in the said writ petition being the proxy for the PDP and the new counsel nominated to represent the state in the aforesaid case also being a PDP man, it could be any body's guess as to outcome of the said writ petition", he said.
Harsh, who is also a senior advocate further said that people of Jammu were "astounded" over the enquiry ordered by the PDP-BJP government to fix responsibility for the so-called mishandling of the PIL by Vishal Sharma (AAG) in which the High Court directed strict enforcement of the 1932 law prohibiting sale of beef.
Flaying the state BJP for allegedly betraying the legacy of its tall leaders including Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Vivekananda, Singh said that its Ministers had "bartered away" the core philosophy of the party for crumbs of power.
He said that BJP, despite its tall claims and repeated clamours of imposing a nationwide ban on cow slaughter, had inflicted a "fatal blow" on its image thus decimating its credibility.
