THE SUPREME COURT ON FRIDAY granted the Central government an additional four weeks to file its response to petitions seeking directions for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran allowed the request made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who said that the government required more time to finalise its position.
Appearing for the Centre, Mehta told the Court that while the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved considerably, certain incidents — including the recent Pahalgam terror attack — warranted careful assessment before any final decision could be made. “The Centre and the state are in consultation,” he added.
The Solicitor General further informed the Bench that assembly elections were held peacefully in the Union Territory and that an elected government was now in place, in keeping with the assurance earlier given to the Constitution Bench, which had upheld the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the former state.
“The central government is in consultation with the state government. The Jammu and Kashmir region has progressed; everyone is happy. 99.99 per cent of the people there treat the Government of India as their own government. So, all that they (petitioners) are saying must be taken with a pinch of salt,” Mehta said.
The Solicitor General further informed the Bench that assembly elections were held peacefully in the Union Territory and that an elected government was now in place.
On the other hand, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, appearing for one of the petitioners, reminded the Court that the Solicitor General had made a “solemn undertaking” to restore statehood. “There was an undertaking given to the Court that the statehood would be restored. If the undertaking is not honoured, what is to be done?” He submitted, requesting that the matter be placed before a five-judge Bench, since the original Article 370 judgment was delivered by one.
Earlier, while hearing the pleas, the Supreme Court had observed that any decision regarding the restoration of statehood must take into account the ground situation in the region. “You cannot ignore what happened in Pahalgam,” the Bench had said at that time.
The petitions, filed by college lecturer Zahoor Ahmed Bhat and activist Khurshid Ahmad Malik, have sought time-bound directions to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood, citing the Centre’s previous assurance and arguing that the continued Union Territory status undermines federal principles and the rights of its residents.