Senior separatist leader Masarat Alam led Muslim League also threatened to protests against the order by urging people in the valley to sacrifice cows during the coming Eid-ul-Zuha next week.
Following the decision of Jammu and Kashmir High Court to enforce the ban on sale of beef in the Muslim majority state, different socio-religious and political organisations in the state have threatened a stir against the order.
The meat-sellers and shopkeepers have also expressed 'shock' over the decision negating the high court decision. A meat-seller in Lal Chowk area, who has been in the business for more than a decade, says that he will not accept the order. "We will continue to sell mutton as well as beef at our shop even if there is a court order," the shopkeeper said.
The High Court bench comprising of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Janak Raj Kotwal directed Director General of Police to ensure that there is no sale on beef in anywhere in the state and strict action is taken in accordance with law against those who indulge in it.
Anjuman Shari Shian, a socio-religious organisation, vehemently opposing the ban has threatened to launch a protest against the order terming it a breach in the law of religion. "We oppose the decision tooth and nail. No law is beyond our religious laws," group's head Aga Hassan told iamin.
The decision came during a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) hearing. The PIL contended that the slaughtering and sale of bovine animals is rampant in some parts of the state which severely affected religious sentiments of a section of the society.
The PIL further stated that the practice continues despite the the fact that penal provisions of Ranbir Penal Code(the penal code that is applicable in the state of Jammu and Kashmir) make killing of bovine animals an offence punishable under Section 298-A.
Earlier, in 2014, valley based Kashmir Pandit Sangharsh Samiti had filed an RTI in the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) seeking information regarding the licences given to beef sellers in the city. It was informed that SMC had not given any licence to any seller. "The ban was already there. We demanded that the beef shouldn't be sold in full public view that hurt the sentiments of a particular community," KPSSs Sanjay Tickoo said.
Stating that the Pandit organisation is not against any religious community, they only want the ban to be implemented as per the state Constitution which already has a provision.
"If the ban is not implemented, it can be termed as a breach in the state's special status which is safeguarded under Article 370," Tickoo points-out adding that it can set a precedent for other orders which can lead to abrogation in Article 370, which grants special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Valley's largest socio-political organisation Jamaat-e-Islami, however, termed the decision as totally 'unacceptable'. "It is absolutely not possible to convince the Muslim community to go against their own religion, so we oppose it," Jama'at head GM Bhat said.
Bhat added that safeguarding Article 370 in this case becomes 'totally irrelevant'. "If the state assembly passes the bill against beef sale and then even if Indian Parliament ratifies it, the order will still have no acceptability in the Muslim majority state," he shared.
Senior separatist leader Masarat Alam led Muslim League also threatened to protests against the order by urging people in the valley to sacrifice cows during the coming Eid-ul-Zuha next week. "We will also sacrifice a cow in the city centre to register our protest against the sale of beef," Bhat added.
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