Hearing began in front of a five-judge bench in the Supreme Court today on the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories. The Supreme Court has asked all the parties to file their reply in this matter by July 27.
Day-to-day hearing will be held from August 2
According to NDTV – Supreme Court has given orders to give submission in electronic mode. After this, the hearing on Article 370 will be held on a day-to-day basis from August 2 in fast track mode, that is, hearing will be held three days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Before this, the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has asked all the parties to give their answers.
No hearing on the affidavit of the Center
The Supreme Court has said that it will not hear the new affidavit filed by the Central Government regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The Supreme Court has justified the decision to abolish Article 370 by giving an affidavit on Monday itself.
The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court said that it would hear only on constitutional issues. The new affidavit of the Center has no effect in this matter.
On behalf of the Central Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed about the change in the situation in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that this is a completely constitutional issue.
Two petitioners withdrew their names
One of the petitioners, IAS Shah Faisal and activist Shehla Rashid have withdrawn their petitions from the Supreme Court in this matter. Allowing this, the Supreme Court has removed their names as petitioners. The petitioner complained in the Supreme Court about whose name should be first in the petitions.-
Central Government’s affidavit before hearing
Before today’s hearing, the Central Government filed a counter-affidavit on Monday on the petitions filed in the Supreme Court against the removal of Article 370. In this affidavit, the government has defended its decision saying that Jammu and Kashmir was battling terrorism for the last three decades.
Removal of Article 370 was the only way to root out terrorism. The government said in the affidavit that the policy of zero-tolerance is being adopted in the valley against terrorism.
The government has said in its affidavit that today all necessary institutions including schools, colleges, industries are running normally in the valley. Industrial development is taking place and people who used to live in fear are living in peace. For the first time after independence, the residents of this region are getting the same rights as the residents of other parts of the country. The people of this area have now come into the mainstream.
The Central Government said that under the terrorist-separatist agenda, there were 1767 incidents of organized stone throwing in the year 2018, which are zero till date in 2023. It has been told in the affidavit given by the Ministry of Home Affairs that in the year 2018, there were 52 bandhs and strikes, which continued for many days, from the year 2023 till now it is zero.
At present, the Supreme Court has said that it will not hear the new affidavit filed by the Central Government regarding the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
