THE Supreme Court would on Thursday hear a plea for the restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. AbenchofChiefJusticeofIndia BRGavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran is likely to hear the matter,according to thecauselist. On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370, even as it ordered that Assembly elections be held in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024 and its Statehoodberestored“at theearliest”. Last year,aplea was filed in the top court seeking directions to theCentre for therestoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir within two months.

 

The application was filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist. “It is submitted that the delay in the restoration of statehood would cause serious reduction of democratically elected governmentinJammu andKashmir, causing a grave violation of the idea of federalism which forms part of the basic structure of the ConstitutionofIndia,” the application said. The Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls were conductedpeacefullyinJammu and Kashmir without anyincident of violence, disturbance or any security concerns being reported, it said. “Therefore,thereisnoimpediment of security concerns, violence or any other disturbances which would hinder or prevent the grant/restoration of the status of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as had been assured by the Union of India in the present proceedings,” the plea said.

 

The non-restoration of the status of Statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, the plea said, would result in a lesser form of elected democratic Government to the State, particularly given legislative Assembly results were declared on October 8, 2024. Despite the apexcourt’sdirections for the restoration of Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir “at the earliest and as soon as possible”, no steps have been taken by theCentre to provide any timeline for the implementation of such directions, it claimed. “Jammu and Kashmir is being operated as a Union Territory for a period of almost five yearsnow,whichhascaused many impediments and grave losses to the development of Jammu and Kashmir and has affected thedemocraticrightsof its citizens,” the plea added.