State Times News
JAMMU: The Bar Association of Jammu (BAJ) on Tuesday expelled lawyer Divender Singh Behl, who is associated with separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani, after he was arrested by the NIA in a terror funding case.
“As soon as we came to know about his (Behl) activities, we verified our records and immediately decided to expel him without any notice from the primary membership of the association,” BAJ President B.S Salathia told reporters here.
“Ours is a nationalist association and we will not tolerate the presence of any ‘anti-national’ element, whether associated with Hurriyat or any other group,” he said.
Widening its probe in the terror funding case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had on July 30 searched the office and residence of Behl over his alleged role in routing funds to separatists from their Pakistan-based handlers.
Behl, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Social Peace Forum (JKSPF) — a constituent of Tehreek-e-Hurriayat headed by Geelani– was arrested following which several of his public speeches during last year’s unrest in the Valley went viral on social media, wherein he was heard shouting ‘pro-freedom’ and ‘anti-India’ slogans.
Salathia said Behl became a member of the Bar Association of Jammu in 2013 on the recommendation of two senior advocates.
He said even members of the association belonging to his community took a strong exception of his activities and recommended his expulsion.
“The decision to expel him was unanimous and aimed at sending a clear message that we will not tolerate any anti-national activity,” he said.
The BAJ Chief also advised senior lawyers to verify the credentials of those seeking membership of the association before recommending their cases, and asserted that a “conspiracy has been going on to intrude anti-national elements into the body to dilute its stand”.
“The association is known for its commitment to the unity and integrity of the Indian Nation and defending/promoting further the sovereignty of India in its Jammu and Kashmir State,” he said adding that it’s shocking that Divender Singh Behl has let down the association by hobnobbing and flirting with such anti-national/pro-Pakistan elements like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and others.
He said the association had never conceived/imagined that any of its members would ever associate himself with the break India activities aimed at driving Jammu and Kashmir State away from India and working for the third communal partition of the country.
Salathia said that the contribution of the Sikh Gurus to national integration was splendid, but Behl has let down the whole Sikh community.
“During the freedom struggle, the Sikhs were in the forefront and they constituted the maximum number of those who went to the gallows in their thousands. The Sikhs were the saviours of the nation. They sacrificed their all for the cause of India. It must remain a matter of shame that Divender Singh Behl has caused an affront to the self respect of the Sikh Community and hurt the Sikh Gurus,” he said.
Salathia said that the Association will see to it that no member of the association dares to indulge in any activity that is fatal to the paramount National Interests and urged the members of the legal fraternity to join hands to fight for the national cause as well as for the cause of the neglected nationalist people of the State.
He expressed the hope that all the members of the fraternity will read the writing on the wall and stand up to the occasion to defeat the anti-national/separatists forces in the State and achieve for the nationalist forces but it legitimately deserves in the Indian polity.
Speaking on the occasion Sachin Gupta, Vice President, Bar Association Jammu, appealed to the people of Jammu that such kind of elements should be identified from the neighbourhood and the requisite information be given to the agencies so that the persons like Divender Singh Behl are not in a position to escape from the clutches of law of the land.
However, General Secretary of the Association, Prem Sadhotra disagreed with the statement that in case of any tinkering with the Article 35 A or 370 of the Constitution of India there shall be no person in the State to hold the Indian Flag.
Sadhotra said that baring few, majority of people in the State are nationalist and believe in holding the National Flag notwithstanding as to whether Article 370 and 35 A find place in Constitution of India or not.
Slathia also urged the DGP to intervene in the matter relating to false implication of a local lawyer from Samba by Ramgarh Police at behest of certain influential persons close to the corridors of power and ensure free and fair investigation in the matter.
Office Bearers of the Association namely Himanshu Sharma (Joint Secretary), Chetan Misri (Cashier), besides P.S Dutta, Jaspinder Singh, Baldev Singh (Sr.), C.M Sharma, Ravinder Sharma, Ashok Parihar, Anil Sethi, Vinod Bakshi, M.U. Salaria, Pawan Manni, Rajesh Thappa, Vikram Sharma, M.S. Palli, Monish Chopra, Meharban Singh, Dewakar Sharma, Jasbir Singh Jasrotia, Ajay Bakshi, Vikas Pankaj, Deepak Singh Billouria, Surjeet Singh Andotra, Ashish Kant Sharma, Natwar Singh Drora, Sahil Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sushil Chandel, Daljeet Singh Manhas (President YLA), Pardeep Majotra (Vice President YLA), Gurdev Singh Thakur, Amit Manhas, Arjun Singh Manhas, Atul Raina, Meet Kumar, Bhanu Partap Singh, Varun Kotwal, Brijesh Badyal, Arjun Mengi, Ajay Gupta, Tara Chib, Suneet K. Loachan and Vishal Khajuria were also present in the press conference.
