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Dinesh Manhotra
Tribune News Service
Jammu, October 11
After boycotting the Block Development Council (BDC) elections as mark of protest against ‘oppressive measures’ being adopted by the government, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir on Friday approached the J&K High Court against "unreasonable restrictions" imposed on him.
Mir, in his petition, sought directions from the court to allow him to perform his political responsibilities as president of a national political party of the country.
“The High Court has issued notice to the state government on house arrest of the PCC chief,” advocate KK Pangotra, who appeared for Mir in the High Court told The Tribune, adding, “The government has been directed to give reply of the notice before October 23 — the next date of hearing”.
“In our petition we sought attention of the court towards violation of Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India,” Pangotra said and argued that the PCC chief has been house arrested and not allowed to perform his duty as a responsible Opposition leader and head of the main opposition party of the country.
Mir submitted before the court that after the abrogation of Article 370 he was house arrested at his Jammu residence and his movements were restricted and curtailed by the government without any formal order, justification and reasonableness. He stated that he was not allowed to move out of his residential house and even not to meet any person, including the leaders and workers of the Congress, in view of imposition of unreasonable, arbitrary and unconstitutional restrictions.
Mir submitted that despite announcement of schedule for the BDC elections he was not allowed to move to Kashmir to discuss the issue with his party colleagues to select candidates for the elections.
In his petition, Mir submitted before the court that it was all due to illegal restrictions imposed on elected representatives that selection and participation of Congress candidates in the BDC elections was impossible.
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