Centre tells Supreme Court: Ready for elections in Jammu and Kashmir any time now
New Delhi, 31 Aug (CNI): The Centre on Thursday informed Supreme Court that it is ready for elections in Jammu and Kashmir any time now and that the final decision will be taken by Election Commission, state poll panel. It also said, restoration of complete statehood in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will take some time.
As per the monitoring desk of Current News of India, The statements came during the hearing of a bunch of petitions challenging the scrapping of Article 370. The Centre had earlier argued that Jammu and Kashmir was one of a kind and the bifurcation was needed.
In its last hearing on Tuesday, the Supreme Court had laid emphasis on the need to restore democracy in J&K, which has been without an elected government since June 2018.
On the question of elections, he said that they are ready for elections anytime now, but the call will be taken by Election Commission of India.
During today’s hearing, 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 details awaited. (CNI)
