Centre to make a positive statement on J&K statehood
NEW DELHI : Underlining that restoration of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir is “very important", the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Union government to indicate a timeframe to restore the statehood of J&K, prompting the Centre to seek 48 hours for making what it called a “positive statement" in this regard. “The government has to make that statement before us that its (J&K’s) progression back to state has to take place.
It cannot be a Union territory in permanence...Restoration of democracy is very important. It’s a surviving component for our nation," a Constitution bench led by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, observed.
As the court heard the matter of the abrogation of Article 370 and the restructuring of J&K into two Union territories, the central government made a statement that J&K will be made a state again but requested for time till 31 August to present a roadmap regarding the restoration of statehood and other pertinent aspects of the issue. Ladakh will, however, continue to remain a UT, solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted before the bench, which also comprised justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, Bhushan R Gavai and Surya Kant, as he sought some time to have a deliberation at the highest level and come back with a tentative timeframe on the restoration of statehood for J&K.
“J&K becoming a UT is not a permanent feature. I will make a positive statement on August 31...I can make a statement that it is a temporary measure.
Two units were created; one (J&K) with a legislature but power of police has to remain with the Centre because of peculiar security position there," he said in response to a query by the court. The court’s query came as Mehta defended the August 2019 abrogation
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