Lone Khalid CNI

The Supreme Court of India today directed the central government to respond within eight weeks to a petition seeking the restoration of Jammu Kashmir’s statehood.The petitioners, Zahoor Ahmed Bhat and Khurshid Ahmad Malik, argue that the prolonged delay in reinstating statehood is adversely affecting the democratic rights of the region’s citizens.

The petitioners contend that the absence of a legislative assembly and full statehood undermines the principles of federalism enshrined in the Indian Constitution.They also point out that both the assembly and Lok Sabha elections were conducted peacefully, suggesting no security concerns that would impede the restoration of statehood.

This petition follows the Supreme Court’s December 2023 ruling, which upheld the abrogation of Article 370 but directed that Jammu Kashmir’s statehood be restored “at the earliest.” The central government had assured the court that the Union Territory status was temporary and that statehood would be reinstated.

The Court has emphasized the importance of considering the “ground situation” in the region, referencing recent incidents such as those in Pahalgam, and has sought a response from the central government.This development is part of ongoing political efforts, including hunger strikes by Congress leaders in Jammu Kashmir, to press for the restoration of statehood.