Northlines News Desk
Srinagar, Jan 10: Nearly a month after the Supreme Court upheld the Union Government’s decision of abrogating Article 370, several petitions were filed in the court on Tuesday to seek review of its judgment.
The petitioners include the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Awami National Conference, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement. Muzaffar Shah of Awami National Conference said he has filed the petition seeking review of the verdict which held Article 370 was a temporary provision in the Constitution.
On December 11, the five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had also ordered assembly elections in the present-day union territory of Jammu and Kashmir by September this year and restoration of statehood ”at the earliest”.
The Apex Court upheld validity of two constitutional orders issued by the President of India on August 5 and 6 in 2019 to abrogate Article 370.
The court, however, didn’t touch on validity of reorganization of J&K into two Union Territories, but directed that “restoration of statehood shall take place at the earliest and as soon as possible”.
The Court didn’t touch the issue after the Solicitor General submitted that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir and that its status as a Union territory is temporary.
It directed that steps shall be taken by the Election Commission of India to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir by 30 September 2024.
