Is there a timeframe: SC questions Centre on J&K statehood
While hearing petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta whether the Centre has a timeframe and roadmap for restoring Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. In response, Mehta said efforts are being made, and once the situation returns to normal, J&K's statehood will be restored. Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud then directed him to seek detailed instructions from the Centre.
Why does this story matter?
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed a coalition government in J&K with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 but later withdrew support in mid-2018. As rival factions staked claim to form the government, the erstwhile state's then-Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the assembly in November 2018. In 2019, the Centre scrapped Article 370, revoking its special status, and enforced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, splitting the erstwhile state into the union territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Must remain UT for some time: Mehta
"For some time, it (J&K) must remain under the Union as a union territory. The Hon'ble Home Minister has said in the House that this is a temporary measure. Ultimately, J&K will become a state," Mehta on Monday told the SC. The SC agreed with the Centre's submission that the Constitution of J&K was subordinate to the Constitution of India. However, it didn't agree with the argument that J&K's Constituent Assembly, disbanded in 1957, was essentially a legislative assembly.
J&K polls likely along with 2024 Lok Sabha elections
The SC's inquiry into restoring J&K's statehood was met with approval by some, including People's Conference leader Sajad Lone, who welcomed the focus on "restoration of democracy." J&K's residents have been calling on the government to hold elections ever since it was stripped of its statehood and autonomy, bringing it under New Delhi's governance. After the government missed multiple deadlines to hold elections, recent reports say J&K polls are likely to be conducted along with next year's Lok Sabha elections.
