Indian SC to hear plea for restoration of IIOJK’s statehood
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has scheduled a hearing for a petition seeking the timely restoration of statehood to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the application was submitted by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academic, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist from IIOJK. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the applicants, emphasized the urgency of the matter before a bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
Sankaranarayanan stated, “There is a miscellaneous application concerning the implementation of statehood under Article 370. This needs to be time-bound.” CJI Chandrachud responded, “I will deal with it,” indicating the court’s willingness to address the request.
The petitioners highlighted that despite assurances from the Solicitor General regarding the restoration of statehood, no steps have been taken by the Indian government in the eleven months since the SC’s judgment on the Article 370 case. They argued that this neglect constitutes a violation of the federal structure enshrined in the Indian Constitution. They noted that recent peaceful assembly elections demonstrate that there are no obstacles to restoring statehood.
On December 11, 2023, the Indian top court upheld the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and mandated that assembly elections be conducted by September 2024. The court also called for the prompt restoration of the territory’s statehood.
