SRINAGAR: A day after Supreme Court said it take up pleas challenging scrapping of J&K’s special status in July, former J&K Chief Minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti hoped that the apex court not only stays revocation of Article 370 but also reverses all the “illegal laws” brought in.
“A state robbed of its legal & constitutional special status was cleaved into two & disempowered. Yet it took SC 3 years to list the case. Hope the Hon’ble Court stays not only revocation of Article 370 but also reverses all the illegal laws brought in,” tweeted Mehbooba.
Mehbooba, who has been very critical of Article 370 revocation, was among a dozen mainstream leaders to be arrested and booked under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) after abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and bifurcation of J&K state by the centre on August 5, 2019. She was arrested on August 5, 2019 and released 14 months later in October 2020.
Mehbooba’s tweet came a day after the apex court said it may hear the pleas challenging Article 370 revocation after summer vacation.
On Monday, senior Advocate Shekhar Naphde mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana. He said it is urgent as the delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir has started.
"It's a five-judge bench matter. I will have to ask the other judges as some retirements are also due to take place. We shall see after vacations,” CJI N V Ramana said.
On August 5, 2019, centre scrapped J&K’s special status and bifurcated J&K state into two Union Territories -Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).
The petitions challenging Article 370 revocation have been filed in the Supreme Court by individuals, lawyers, activists and J&K-based political parties including National Conference, Sajjad Lone’s Peoples Conference and CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami.