The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday granted four weeks to the Union government to respond to the demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
According to submissions from both the petitioners and the Centre, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai dictated the order, granting “four weeks to the Centre to respond to the statehood matter.”
Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded and bifurcated into two separate Union Territories (UTs) on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, which granted special status to the erstwhile state.
The Chief Justice, while referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, said the decision on statehood restoration must be taken after considering all factors.
Earlier, senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that statehood was taken away in 2019, and “we are now in 2025.”
He argued, “Now, for reasons best known to them, enough water has flowed under the bridge, and elections have also been held.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta interjected, saying that “not only much water, but also blood has flowed.” He also submitted that elections took place peacefully and that factors such as the Pahalgam incident must be considered before restoration of statehood, adding that the Union and state governments were in consultation.
After hearing submissions from both sides, the Chief Justice granted four weeks’ time to the Union government to respond to the matter of the Jammu and Kashmir statehood demands.
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