Ex-AGI, Ex-ASGI to lead JK’s defence : NEET Row

NC says Govt’s response too late, YNC to stage protests

The former Attorney General of India (AGI) and the former Additional Solicitor General of India (ASGI) are among the team of lawyers hired by the State government who would challenge the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing conduct of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in Jammu Kashmir on Thursday.

The State has hired the services of the former Attorney General of India, Gopal Subramanium and the former Additional Solicitor General of India, K V Vishwanathan to plead the case in the Apex court while State’s Advocate General, D C Raina would also be part of the lawyers’ team appearing for Jammu Kashmir in the Apex Court in New Delhi.

The Supreme Court had on April 28 passed a verdict that admissions to all medical courses – MBBS, BDS, MD or MS – in Jammu Kashmir should be held through NEET, creating a furore in the State.

Conducting NEET did not extend to the State in the past as education is a state subject in Jammu Kashmir, which constitutionally has a special status under Article 370.

Opposition National Conference (NC) Additional General Secretary, Sheikh Mustafa Kamal said the government’s response to the NEET controversy was too late and accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of joining hands with the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to dilute the special status of Jammu Kashmir, which was guaranteed under Article 370.

He said extending conduct of NEET in the State was a conspiracy of New Delhi and PDP was helping implement this agenda of the saffron parties in Jammu Kashmir.

“We hope the Supreme Court keeps the Article 370 in mind and gives a decision against conducting of NEET in the State,” he said. “Until and unless the State Assembly does not pass a law into conducting NEET in Jammu Kashmir, holding it in the State would be unlawful.”

Kamal said if the SC gives a go ahead to the decision of conducting NEET in the State, NC would oppose the decision and stage protests against it.

In this respect, sources said the Youth National Conference (YNC) led by its Provisional President Kashmir, Salman Sagar held a meeting at the Nawai Subh party headquarters devising a strategy in the event the Apex Court gives the decision of conducting NEET a go ahead on Thursday.

The sources said during the meeting, the youth NC leaders including all its district presidents expressed concern over the decision of conducting NEET in the State stating that it would put the future of Kashmiri youth at stake.

They said if the SC upholds its April 28 decision after hearing the team of lawyers representing Jammu Kashmir government, YNC would lead the protests of youth from all district headquarters on Saturday.

Earlier, NC Working President and former chief minister, Omar Abdullah had condemned the lack of seriousness shown by the PDP-BJP government in taking timely action to prevent the extension of NEET to the State.

Meanwhile, a spokesman of the government said the Law Minister, Abdul Haq Khan had been monitoring the situation from day one and had passed on special instructions to the BOPEE Chairman, Ghuman Hassan Tantray; Commissioner Secretary Law, Muhammad Ashraf Mir; Special Secretaries Law, Dilshad Ahmad Baba and Abdul Majid Bhat and the Advocate General, D C Raina, who had held a meeting in Delhi.

“The opposition is trying to give an impression that there is a state of anarchy due to this NEET controversy but the fact is that the State responded in a record time to the SC’s April 28 judgement,” he said. “The government filed its response on April 30 just a single day after the judgement.”