'Publicity, not public cause': SC rejects PIL on J&K tourist safety
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL that sought safety measures for tourists in remote hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir, following the recent Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh criticised advocate Vishal Tiwari for filing the PIL, stating that it appeared to be aimed at publicity rather than serving a genuine public cause.
Justice Surya Kant questioned Tiwari’s motives, saying, "Why have you filed this kind of PIL? What is your real motive? Don't you understand the sensitivity of the issue? I think you are inviting some exemplary cost for filing this PIL."
The petitioner argued that this was the first instance of tourists being directly targeted in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting his plea for enhanced safety measures.
In its order, the bench remarked, "The petitioner is indulging in filing one after the other PIL in which the primary aim appears to be to get publicity with no real interest in the public cause."
On April 22, terrorists opened fire in Baisaran, a well-known tourist destination in the upper reaches of Pahalgam in Anantnag district, killing 26 people, most of whom were tourists from other states.
The attack heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing that the perpetrators would be pursued "to the ends of the earth".
(inputs from PTI)