Irked over the termination of two top law officers of Jammu and Kashmir, scores of J&K National Panthers Party activists today held anti-government protest and demanded their reinstatement.
The services of the two officers--Additional Advocate General Vishal Sharma and Deputy Advocate General Parimoksh Seth-- were terminated yesterday over their alleged failure to defend the state government's stand in the beef ban case in the high court.
Led by JKNPP Chairman Harsh Dev Singh, over 200 activists staged a protest demonstration at Exhibition ground here.
The protestors demanded the revocation of the termination order of the incumbents and raised the anti-BJP and anti-government slogans. Later, they also burnt the effigy of the BJP.
Deploring the termination of the advocates by the PDP, Singh said former DAG Parimoksh Seth had filed a PIL in the High Court seeking a ban on the bovine slaughter and beef sale in the J&K.
"Subsequently, former AAG Home Vishal Sharma on behalf of the State government had presented the case before the High Court in conformity with the provisions made under section 298 A and 298 B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) in which the Court directed strict enforcement of 1932 law prohibiting sale and consumption of beef in the State", he added.
Harsh said that following the Court's decision, the Secretary of the Law department of J&K Mohd Ashraf Mir issued an ambiguous statement which stunned the entire Jammu region saying that the State government would look in the matter to identify the lapses attributed to the 'total failure' of Sharma to defend the government's stand on the issue.
The termination of both the law officers in reality was a "slap on the face of the BJP" and has further demoralised the people of Jammu who feel let down and humiliated, he said.
He alleged that the BJP which is an integral ally in the coalition government had clandestinely ratified the termination orders without any valid and concrete reason.
