NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday directed National Conference leader and Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Akbar Lone, the lead petitioner challenging the abrogation of Article 370, to file an affidavit swearing allegiance to the Constitution of India and recognizing Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud directed senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Lone, to have the affidavit filed by Tuesday.
The ruling came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that the Centre wanted Lone to apologise for raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly in 2018. “Mr Sibal, do we take it that Mr Lone unconditionally accepts the sovereignty of India and that J&K is an integral part of India? …when he invokes the jurisdiction of our court under Article 32, he necessarily abides by the Constitution … but we want to have it from him that he unconditionally accepts that J&K is an integral part of India and that he abides by and owes allegiance to the Constitution,” Chandrachud said.