Supreme Court to rule on Article 370 abrogation in J&K | Fusion - WeRIndia

In a highly anticipated development, the Supreme Court is poised to deliver a historic verdict on December 11th.

The verdict is concerned with a series of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The verdict will be pronounced by a five-judge constitution bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud. The apex court had reserved its judgment on September 5 after an exhaustive 16-day hearing.

During the comprehensive hearing, the court heard arguments from Attorney General R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and many senior advocates. They all represented the Centre and are intervenors supporting the abrogation of Article 370.

On the opposing side, senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Gopal Subramanium, Rajeev Dhavan, Dushyant Dave, Zaffar Shah, and others presented the case on behalf of the petitioners.

The legal discourse encompassed a spectrum of issues, including the constitutional validity of the Centre’s decision on August 5, 2019, to abrogate Article 370.

Furthermore, the validity of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which bifurcated the state into two Union Territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, was a focal point.

The lawyers delved into challenges against the imposition of the Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir on June 20, 2018, as well as the imposition of the President’s rule on December 19, 2018, and its subsequent extension on July 3, 2019.

Numerous petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, were consolidated and referred to a Constitution bench in 2019.

The impending verdict holds immense significance as it will address the constitutional intricacies of the abrogation. Besides, it also will determine the fate of the region’s reorganization into Union Territories.

As the nation awaits this landmark ruling, the decision of the Supreme Court will undoubtedly shape the course of Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape, marking a pivotal moment in the constitutional history of India.

Image Credit: N T Prabhakar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jammu_kashmir.jpg