SC Accepts Karra's Petition to Intervene in Hearing on Article 35A

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has accepted Congress leader Tariq Hameed Karra’s petition to intervene in the writ petitions it is considering on Article 35A, that has come under serious challenge from the RSS/BJP and affiliated organisations.

Karra has impleaded himself in the case that is currently before the apex court, with the hearing deferred to probably after Diwali.

Speaking to The Citizen, the PDP-turned-Congress leader said that he was not representing the Congress party or any organisation but just himself, as a private citizen. He said that he has done this after discussions with the Congress leaders, and the party will be backing and fully supporting him in this case. However, there was no need for the party to politicise the issue, and thereby reduce the importance and relevance to just a “BJP vs Congress” diatribe.

Asked if he was optimistic of a fair rulling, Karra said, “I think every citizen of India should have faith in the judiciary. I have, and the merit of the case demands a decision in favour of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” He said that clearly Article 35 had merit sufficient to protect the constitutional provision from earlier such challenges. “If it lacked merit it would have been scrapped a long time ago,”he added.

Karra said it was unfortunate the RSS/BJP affiliates were challenging the provision. He said that the ruling party had not gone this route through Parliament, and instead has adopted the legal course “trying to pass the buck to the Supreme Court.” He saw in this a “sinister design by the RSS.”

Karra was earlier with the PDP and close to the Mufti family. The alliance between the PDP and the BJP had disturbed him, and he had expressed his reservations and opposition to Mehbooba Mufti. However, his views were not considered by the party, and Karra resigned soon after the daughter confirmed her father Mufti Mohammad’s alliance with the BJP as well.

He left the party, and has subsequently joined the Congress party. Unfortunately, the party is still on a low wicket in the state, having lost its credibility over the years. Along with ally National Conference. Karra, however, is still respected in the Valley as he left PDP for its alliance with the BJP.