Have engaged best lawyers in SC to challenge Article 370 revocation: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Aug 17 (PTI) The National Conference has engaged the best lawyers in the Supreme Court to challenge the revocation of Article 370, said party leader Omar Abdullah on Thursday and expressed hope the judges will be convinced by their arguments.

“We are fighting and we are there with a hope for justice. We have not left any stone unturned, we engaged the best lawyers and their performance was appreciated by all. The hearings are on and we hope the judges will be convinced by our arguments. It will go on and we are waiting,” he told reporters here.

Addressing his party workers earlier at the National Conference (NC) headquarters Nawa-i-Subah, Abdullah said the party could not have done better than hiring Kapil Sibal and Gopal Subramanium to fight the case in the Supreme Court.

“We hired the best lawyers. Kapil Sibal and Gopal Subramanium are two of the top five lawyers in the country Win or loss is in the hands of God. A human being can only try and we did not leave any stone unturned. Now, we should pray to God to give us success,” said the NC vice-president.

Asked about the Jammu and Kashmir administration removing the name of NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, popularly known as Sher-e-Kashmir, from the government buildings, including the convention centre on the banks of Dal Lake here, Abdullah said no one can erase his grandfather’s name from the hearts of the people.

“You can remove his name from the buildings but not from the hearts (of the people). If you remove Sher-e-Kashmir’s name from SKICC or cricket stadium or hospitals, it will make no difference. You cannot hide the truth. The CJI has renewed that truth before the people,” he said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was referring to Chief Justice of India Justice D Y Chandrachud’s remarks while hearing the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in the apex court.

“You remove the name, but tomorrow another government will come, it will bring it back. But remember, Sher-e-Kashmir’s name will not be erased. People who are removing his name will leave from here and no one will remember them. Their name will not remain here, but Sher-e-Kashmir’s name will remain etched in the hearts of the people forever,” he added.

Asked about Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad’s statement that Muslims in Kashmir are mostly converts from Hinduism, Abdullah said: “I do not know in which context has he said it or why or whom he wanted to make happy by saying so.”

To a question about the administration bringing in another agency TCS — for conducting recruitment exam for various posts advertised by the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Recruitment Board (JKSSRB), the former chief minister said the current government has “failed” to complete recruitments in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Whoever you got, failed. The inquiry on Aptech has not been completed, no list has been finalised. Now, you are bringing TCS into this. Was no list finalised before 2019? Were the recruitments not done in a transparent manner? Were people not recruited? Different governments did recruitments here. What is the reason that recruitment is not taking place in the governor’s rule?” Abdullah asked.

“There was no need to get TCS. Make the JKSSRB stronger. Bring right people into it. When you do that, the process will become right,” he added.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration cancelled the police sub-inspector recruitment process in July after allegations of irregularities in the conduct of the recruitment exams and handed over the case to the CBI.

Similar allegations came to the fore in the conduct of the Fire and Emergency Services exams. Fingers were raised at Aptech — the agency conducting the examination process.