The Central government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the “union territory is not a permanent feature” after it asked Attorney General (AG) and Solicitor General (SG) to seek instructions from the Centre over the timeframe to restore statehood of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The state was downgraded into two Union Territories (UTs) in August 2019 -- J&K and Ladakh.
“The instructions are -- UT is not a permanent feature. But, I will make a positive statement the day after tomorrow (regarding Jammu and Kashmir),” said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, adding that Ladakh would remain a UT.
SG Mehta clarified that he will meet the functionaries in the government along with the AG to seek more instructions to make a statement.
A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, hearing pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370, remarked that the erstwhile state cannot be a “Union Territory in permanence.”
“We understand that these are matters of national security. We understand that ultimately preservation of the nation itself is an overriding concern. But without putting you in a bind, both you (SG) and Attorney General may seek instructions on the highest level - is there some time frame in view?” orally asked CJI Chandrachud.
