Article 370 Hearing
Centre tells SC polls in J-K can take place at any time, decision depends on Election Commission, state poll panel, process of updation of voters’ list in J-K is underway, it will take a month or so to complete
Restoration of complete statehood in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will take some time: Centre to SC hearing Article 370 matter
Sr Adv Kapil Sibal: if you have 5,000 people in house arrest and withs section 144 imposed there cannot be any bandh.. so let us not get into this… otherwise we have to counter all of this
CJI: What he is saying that roadmap to full statehood will take some time.. UT is not a permanent feature and there cannot be a timeline.. but these are the steps they are taking.. but we know these facts cannot be an answer to the constitutional question
Sibal: the drugs issue which is plaguing J&K is enormous and there is enormous rate of unemployment in the UT.
Sibal: problem is this is being televised… and all of this is on record.. they make it like look what all govt is doing..
SG: Development is never a problem…
CJI: The constitutional issue will be dealt only with the constitutional angle and not on the basis of the policy decisions..
SG: My friend says some are under house arrest and that is why no bandh… so correct people are under the house arrest..
Sibal: 5000 were under house arrest let us not make a mockery of democracy.. section 144 was imposed and internet was shut off… this court has recognised all of this as well.. people could not go to hospitals even.. let us not talk about bandhs etc.
◾Centre tells Supreme Court that it is unable to give specific timeline for restoring the Statehood status of Jammu and Kashmir but clarified that Union Territory status is a temporary.
Developments are taking place for it to become a complete State, Centres says.
◾ Centre tells Supreme Court that militant instances have reduced by 45.2% compared from 2018 to 2023 and infiltration reduced by 90%. Law and order issues like stone pelting etc. reduced by 97%, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta says. Security personnel casualty is reduced by 65%. Stone pelting instances in 2018 were 1,767, it is nil now. Organised bandhs in 2018 were 52 and now it is nil, Centre to SC.
◾ Centre tells Supreme Court that there are three elections which are due. For the first time, the three-tier Panchayat Raj system is introduced. First, elections would be for Panchayats. Leh Hill Development Council elections are over and that for Kargil will be held in September.
◾ Petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in SC | Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Centre, tells Supreme Court that it is ready for elections in Jammu and Kashmir at any time now.
More to come