SC to Hear Plea on Restoring J&K Statehood Today
The petition noted that both the assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls were conducted peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir without any incidents of violence, disturbance, or security concerns.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Thursday hear a plea seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
A bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran is likely to hear the matter.
On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370, while directing that assembly elections be held in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024 and that its statehood be restored “at the earliest.”
Last year, a plea was filed in the top court seeking directions to the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir within two months.
The application was filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist.
“It is submitted that the delay in the restoration of statehood would cause a serious reduction in the functioning of a democratically elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in a grave violation of the idea of federalism, which forms part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India,” the plea stated.
The petition noted that both the assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls were conducted peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir without any incidents of violence, disturbance, or security concerns.
“Therefore, there is no impediment of security concerns, violence, or any other disturbances that would hinder or prevent the grant or restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, as had been assured by the Union of India in the present proceedings,” it added.
