On Friday, the Kerala High Court refused to stay the implementation of the draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation (LDAR) 2021, Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA), among other administrative measures recently introduced, including a beef ban, by the Lakshadweep administration, reports Live Law.
According to the reports, the Kerala High Court issued a notice to the Centre and the Union Territory administration asking to respond to the public interest litigation in the next two weeks.
Congress leader KP Noushad Ali had filed the plea in the Kerala HC against the reforms initiated by the centre in Lakshadweep. In his petition, Ali has claimed that the regulation will destroy the unique culture and tradition of the Arabian Sea archipelago. He has said the new regulations give sweeping, arbitrary, and unchecked powers to Lakshadweep’s administration and will even affect possession and retention of property by islanders.
Hearing the plea, the Kerala High Court bench comprising Justice Vinod Chandran and Justice MR Anitha observed that it was a policy matter and asked all stakeholders to share their views with the court. The court also sent notices to the Union government and island administration and posted the hearing after two weeks.
Lakshadweep has been in the eye of a political storm after the Union Territory’s new administrator, Praful Khoda Patel, issued a set of orders and brought in new rules and regulations. The administrative reforms initiated by Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda has met with stiff resistance, especially by the opposition parties, claiming that the new rules will hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim population living on the island.
The opposition parties, including Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal, have claimed that the new reforms are aimed at “destroying the unique culture and tradition” of the islands.