NEW DELHI: The Centre justified its decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution in the Supreme Court on Monday and the militants and separatist elements, with the support of foreign forces inimical to India, were taking advantage of the situation.
A five-judge bench of Justices N V Ramana, S K Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant is scheduled to take up for hearing a batch of petitions challenging abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and Article 35A on November 14. In its reply to the batch of petitions, the Centre said that Article 370, in its original form, was constitutionally described as a temporary provision with respect to J&K, formed a part of the Constitution as adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949.
“The militants and separatist elements, with the support of foreign forces inimical to India, were taking advantage of the situation and sowing discord, discontent and even secessionist feelings among the populace of the State,” the affidavit said. It said, “What is more, the residents of the erstwhile State were also being denied all the benefits of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India to all other citizens of the country.”