New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the ground realities in Jammu and Kashmir must be considered while examining the issue of restoring statehood to the Union Territory.
“You also have to take into consideration the ground realities; you cannot ignore what has happened in Pahalgam,” a bench headed by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran observed, referring to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.
The court was hearing a plea filed by academician Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and socio-political activist Ahmad Malik seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The apex court sought a response from the Centre and posted the matter for hearing after eight weeks.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that “several considerations… go into the decision-making process.”
“It is for Parliament and the Executive to take a decision,” the CJI said when senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioners, pressed for an early hearing.
On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 — a temporary constitutional provision granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir — and directed that assembly elections be held in the Union Territory by September 2024, with statehood to be restored “at the earliest.”
Last year, a separate plea had sought directions to the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir within two months.
