Suspension of 2 Sr Advocates for statement on 35-A
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 3: Several members of J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu held a peaceful protest at High Court Complex against the suspension of two Senior Advocates A V Gupta and S C Gupta from the basic membership of the Bar over their stance of strengthening and retention of Article 35-A.
Several Advocates under the chairmanship of Advocate Jameel Ahmed Kazmi, Former Vice-President of Jammu Bar and Former AAG assembled with their mouths covered with black strips symbolizing assault on their freedom of speech and expression.
With the placards in their hands, they were demanding immediate revocation of the suspension of two eminent lawyers who had expressed their personal views on the strengthening and retention of Article 35-A.
Before holding the silent and peaceful protest, the members of the Bar assembled in Justice Vinod Gupta Bar Hall at High Court Complex and expressed solidarity with two senior members of the Bar who were suspended for expressing their personal views on Article 35-A.
Advocate H C Jalmeria, while speaking on the occasion, cautioned all the Bar members not to indulge in politicizing the Bar as these issues must be left for the political parties. He further stated Bar should only take up the issues pertaining to the welfare of the legal fraternity.
Advocate Ashok Basotra said, “voice of the members can’t be gagged merely for their dissenting views and the dictatorial order of the Executive should be taken back immediately”. Advocate Anil John said, “there is no dictatorship in this country and 35-A being part of Indian Constitution can be deliberated upon by any member of the Bar and the members can have their personal views”.
Advocates Zahida Parveen, Shabnam Mir and Fozia Shamim also expressed their full solidarity with the two senior lawyers and demanded revocation of their suspension immediately.
Advocates Rouf Lone, Zahid Sarfaraz Malik, Masood Chowdhary and Zulkernain Sheikh also spoke on the occasion and expressed their views for strengthening and retention of Article 35-A. They also condemned the decision of the Executive to suspend two senior members from primary membership of the Bar.
Others who were present in the meeting include Advocates Rajinder Chinyal (Former PP), Sawtanter Arora, M A Shah, Javaid Iqbal Sohil, Nadeem Khan, Qayoom Chowdhary, T M Khan, Mohd Tabassum, Amin Khan, Irfaan Mohd Khan, Hilal Ahmed Wani, Asif Iqbal, Sheikh Najeeb Ashraf, Mohd Zulkarnain Chowdhary, Shahzad Mir, Fareha Wani, Saqib Hussain Bhat, Ashfaq Beg, Yasser Nizami, Nissar Gatoo, Zaheer Kamlak, Ayaz Khan, Intakhab Ahmed Qazi and Supriya Singh Chouhan.
In his concluding remarks, Advocate J A Kazmi said that Jammu Bar belongs to all and no particular political ideology can be allowed to flourish in the Bar. He further stated that a lawyer has no religion and it is very painful and shocking that voice of two eminent lawyers was snubbed with a dictatorial declaration by the Executive of the Bar.
It was decided to give three days time to the Bar to recall the suspension of the two eminent lawyers and in default a signature campaign of legal fraternity will be launched in the entire Jammu Province to express solidarity with the two senior members of the Bar and to ensure revocation of their suspension.
Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed conducted the proceedings of the meeting.
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