J&K govt welcomes SC decision to suspend HC order on beef ban

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court decision to suspend the order of state High Court on beef ban for two months.

Education Minister Naeem Akhtar, who is also the State Government Spokesman, said the order of the apex court, which has suspended the order of High Court for two months, has come as a relief for the government.

Last month, the Jammu bench of the State High Court had ordered the J&K Police to strictly implement the provisions of Ranbir Penal Code which ban the sale and consumption of beef in the state, sparking anguish and protests in the state.

"The apex court order has obviously come as a breather. The urgency created by order of the Jammu bench of HC had caused anguish in the state, but it is gone now. The SC ruling should lower the tempers in the state," Akhtar said.

The Education Minister said that given the sensibilities involved in the issue, there is a need for evolving a consensus on the matter in the legislature.

"We have to carefully tread this path and not do anything that creates bad feelings among the citizens of the state. Even with absolute majorities, previous government's couldn't do much to change the status quo on issues where sensibilities of the people of the state are involved," he said.

Akhtar said the government will wait for the constitution of the larger bench and then take a call on the future course. "A sensible and cool deliberation is needed on the issue by involving all the stakeholders," he added.

The Supreme Court today suspended for two months a controversial court order for enforcing a legal bar on the sale of beef in Jammu and Kashmir while asking the Chief Justice of J-K High Court to set up a three-judge bench to decide on two conflicting orders on the issue.

A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu directed that the September 8 order of the Jammu bench of the High Court, by which it had ordered enforcement of bar on sale of beef in the state in pursuance of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) provisions, be kept in abeyance for two months.