Supreme Court to Hear Plea Seeking Restoration of Jammu Kashmir Statehood

SRINAGAR: The Supreme Court is set to hear a petition today demanding the immediate restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and the implementation of directions issued by a Constitution Bench in December 2023. The case will be heard this morning by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai.

The petition follows the Centre’s failure to respond within the two-month deadline granted by the court on 14 August. The Union government has yet to file its reply.

In its landmark ruling on December 21, 2023, a five-judge Constitution Bench upheld the abrogation of Article 370 but directed the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir “at the earliest, as soon as possible.” The government had then assured the court that the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir was only temporary.

“Given the submission made by the Solicitor General that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir, we do not find it necessary to determine whether the reorganisation of the state into two Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir is permissible under Article 3,” the Bench had observed.

The latest plea argues that the prolonged delay in restoring statehood violates the spirit of India’s federal structure. Jammu and Kashmir lost its statehood and special status following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Since then, the Centre has maintained that statehood would be reinstated “at an appropriate time.”

Recently, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged political leaders across parties, including the BJP and Congress, to support the introduction of a bill in Parliament to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.