The Supreme Court is expected to hear a fresh plea on August 8, urging the Central government to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The petition has been filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who mentioned the matter before Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, requested the bench to retain the listing for August 8, which marks the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 that stripped J&K of its special constitutional status.
The plea emphasizes that the delay in restoring statehood severely undermines the principles of federalism and democratic representation in Jammu and Kashmir. The petitioners argue that the region has now been governed as a Union Territory for nearly five years, despite the Supreme Court’s December 2023 verdict that upheld the abrogation of Article 370 but also directed the Centre to conduct assembly elections by September 2024 and restore statehood “at the earliest.” The petition adds that peaceful Lok Sabha and local assembly elections have already taken place, indicating no security impediments exist to delay the process any further.
The applicants contend that operating J&K as a Union Territory has led to setbacks in development and erosion of democratic rights. They claim that the lack of a clear timeline from the Centre for the restoration of statehood is in violation of the apex court’s orders. Highlighting the historical and cultural uniqueness of Jammu and Kashmir, the plea calls for the urgent establishment of a strong federal structure to empower its citizens and ensure effective governance. The court had previously observed that Article 370 was a temporary provision and that the President had the authority to revoke it following the dissolution of the J&K Constituent Assembly in 1957.
