SC to hear plea for stopping government funding of Kashmir separatist groups

The supreme Court has agreed to hear a PIL seeking to prohibit the Central and the Jammu and Kashmir government from funding separatist groups and their leaders who were spearheading the anti-India agitation in the state.

Addressing the bench of Justice Anil R. Dave and Justice L. Nageswara Rao in a mentioning, PIL petitioner, advocate M.L.Sharma said that separatist leaders who were engaged in anti-national activities were being funded by the government, provided Z category security cover and their travel expenses were being met.

Seeking an urgent hearing of the PIL, Sharma told the court that the funds from the consolidated fund of India that were being spent on the separatist groups were without authority and unconstitutional as there was no express approval of parliament for them.

The court said that plea would be heard on September 14 subject to its completing all the procedural formalities.

Seeking direction to the Central Bureau of Investigation to register FIR against the release of public money to the separatist group, Sharma has referred to BJP Jammu and Kashmir legislator Ajat Shatru Singh, saying that both the Central and state governments had spent Rs 560 crore on the separatist groups and their leaders in last five years.

The PIL says that while separatist are instigating young Kashmiris and holding the entire Valley to ransom for last two months, they are being secured and guarded by 950 security personnel.

Sharma also claimed that Pakistan was annually spending Rs 100 crore on these separatist leaders to create "unrest and violence in Kashmir, chant anti-India slogans and keep the Valley boiling".

He has sought prosecution of people responsible for such unauthorised and illegal funding under Prevention of Corruption Act read with Section 409 (Criminal breach of trust by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and other provisions of law.

--IANS

pk/vd