August 5 not always august

To the government, August 5 is not always an auspicious date.

Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta on Tuesday objected when the Supreme Court initially adjourned to August 5 a contempt petition moved against the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration for failing to take steps towards restoring 4G Internet services in J&K.

“Your Lordships, it would be better to have it on another date, as August 5 is the date of imposition of Internet curbs in the (erstwhile) state…. There is some special significance in Kashmir (about August 5). Please give a different date,” Mehta, representing the J&K administration, urged.

The bench of Justices N.V. Ramana, R. Subhash Reddy and Bhushan Gavai agreed and posted the hearing to August 7 after senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the petitioner, said he had no objections to the request.