THE SUPREME COURT ON THURSDAY, while hearing pleas for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, observed that the prevailing ground situation must be taken into account before any decision is made.
“You cannot ignore what happened in Pahalgam,” remarked a Bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran.
Appearing for the Union, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the government had assured statehood after elections, but noted there is a “peculiar situation” in the region. He pointed out that Assembly elections were held in J&K, as directed by the Constitution Bench that had upheld the abrogation of Article 370, and the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories.
“This is not the time for petitioners to muddy the waters,” Mehta stated, seeking eight weeks to take instructions from the government.
