The Supreme Court is scheduled to announce its verdict on December 11 regarding a series of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. This constitutional provision granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir before its bifurcation into two Union Territories.
The Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud along with Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai, and Surya Kant, will determine the constitutionality of the 2019 Presidential Order that revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
The verdict comes after the court heard arguments from both sides and reserved its judgment on September 5. During the hearings, the Central government reiterated that the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir was temporary, and the restoration of statehood would take some time.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta highlighted that the court's decision would be historic and would address the confusion surrounding the temporary or permanent nature of Article 370, aiming to resolve the psychological duality experienced by residents of the Kashmir Valley.
Petitioners argued that after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, Article 370 had taken on a permanent character. However, in March 2020, a five-judge Constitution Bench, led by then CJI N.V. Ramana, declined the petitioner's request to refer the issue to a larger bench of seven judges. The Bench stated that earlier judgments on the interpretation of Article 370 were not conflicting and did not require a further review.
(With Agency Inputs)
