Supreme Court Reviews Jammu and Kashmir Statehood Restoration Amid Security Concerns
Supreme Court Considers Statehood Plea
On Thursday, the Supreme Court addressed a request for the reinstatement of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing that the current situation in the Union Territory, particularly incidents like the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, must be taken into account.
A panel consisting of Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was reviewing an application that urged the Union government to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.
The petitioners contended that the prolonged delay in reinstating statehood was infringing upon the rights of the local populace.
In August 2019, the Union government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, revoked Article 370, which had granted special status to the former state, and subsequently divided it into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
In December 2023, the Supreme Court confirmed the legality of the 2019 decision to abrogate Article 370 and instructed the Union government to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
During the recent hearing, the petitioners pointed out that the court's 2023 ruling was based on the Union government's commitment to grant statehood following the Assembly elections.
The elections conducted in September and October 2024 marked the first electoral process in Jammu and Kashmir in ten years and the first since the abrogation of Article 370.
The court remarked, 'You cannot overlook the events in Pahalgam,' highlighting the significance of the situation.
The terrorist incident at Baisaran, near Pahalgam, on April 22 resulted in 26 fatalities and 16 injuries, with attackers targeting tourists based on their religious identity, according to police reports. Among the deceased, only three were not Hindu.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union government, opposed the plea, stating, 'We assured statehood after elections.' He added, 'This region has a unique status, and I am unsure why this matter is being raised now. This state is not the appropriate one to complicate issues.'
The court has postponed the case for eight weeks to allow Mehta to obtain further instructions from the Union government.