Wednesday (August 28): The Supreme Court of India today agreed to constitute a five-judge Constitution bench to hear petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories namely, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The hearing will take place in the first week of October.
The leaders of National Conference (NC), former IAS and President of ‘Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement’ (JKPM) Shah Faisal, his party colleague and activist Shehla Rashid are among those who have challenged center’s decision on revocation.
The special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir was taken away by annulling Article 370 by a Presidential order on August 5. The special status, which includes some special privileges to the local Kashmiri people and also barred other Indians to carry out normal businesses in the state, was bestowed upon the state by Article 35A.
This incorporation was done by an order of the then President Rajendra Prasad in 1954 on the mere cabinet advice headed by the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Thus parliament wasn’t consulted back then while bestowing special status upon the state. And this has been the contentious point.
[…] Supreme Court agrees to hear pleas challenging revocation of Article 370 […]