SC gives Centre four weeks to respond on J&K statehood restoration pleas

The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Central government four weeks to respond to a series of petitions seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran was hearing multiple petitions, including those filed by academician Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and socio-political activist Ahmad Malik. The petitioners urged the Court to ensure the implementation of the Centres earlier assurance to reinstate statehood to the Union Territory at the earliest. During the hearing, the petitioners' counsel pointed to the Supreme Courts December 2023 verdict that upheld the abrogation of Article 370. In that judgment, the Centre had given an undertaking to restore statehood, which the petitioners now seek to enforce. Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that discussions were ongoing with the Jammu and Kashmir administration regarding the matter. He described the issue as sui generis, a unique situation involving broader considerations. There was a solemn undertaking, yes, but various factors must be weighed, Mehta said, while also alleging that certain individuals were attempting to portray a distorted and negative image of the region. In its December 11, 2023 ruling, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the Centres decision to revoke Article 370, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The Court also directed that assembly elections be conducted in the Union Territory by September 2024 and that statehood be restored at the earliest possible date. A separate plea filed last year sought a Court directive to the Centre to complete the restoration of statehood within two months. (With inputs from PTI)