Article 35A: Kashmir biz community holds protest march

The business community in Kashmir took out a peaceful march in Srinagar on Wednesday against the petitions in the Supreme court challenging the validity of Article 35A of the Constitution which grants special status to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

The march was carried out from Residency Road to Press Enclave in the heart of the city, a police official said.

The protest was against "attempts to dilute the special status of the state", Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) President Javid Ahmad Tenga said.

"We express our concern over the threat to abrogate Article 35A through mischievous scheming," he said, adding the protest was organised by several traders, business bodies and civil society groups.

He said that the business community would not shy away from "shedding their blood" for protection of the special status granted to the state.

Article 35A, which was incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, accords special rights and privileges to the citizens of J&K and denies property rights to a woman who marries a person from outside the state.

It empowers the state legislature to frame any law without attracting a challenge on the grounds of violation of the Right to Equality of people from other states or any other right under the Constitution.

A batch of petitions challenging the Article 35A will come up for hearing on August 6.