NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday granted the Union government an additional four weeks to file its detailed response in a batch of petitions seeking directions for the restoration of statehood to the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir.
During the hearing, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, requested more time to file the response. The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, allowed the request and granted a four-week extension.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, an activist — both residents of Jammu and Kashmir — who have sought directions to the Centre to restore statehood to the region.
The petitioners argued that the continued delay in restoring statehood was gravely affecting the rights of citizens in Jammu and Kashmir. They highlighted that SG Mehta had earlier assured the court that the UT status of J&K was temporary and that statehood would be restored — excluding the UT of Ladakh.
On August 14, the court had already sought a response from the Centre within eight weeks on a separate plea concerning the same issue.
In their current application, the petitioners urged the top court to issue appropriate and time-bound directions to the Centre, noting that no concrete steps have been taken even ten months after the Supreme Court’s verdict on August 11, 2023, which upheld the abrogation of Article 370 and the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The applicants, being conscious citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, are aggrieved that even after the passage of ten months since the judgment, no steps have been taken to restore statehood. This inaction is gravely affecting the rights of the inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir," the plea stated.
Seeking immediate directions for restoration of statehood, the petitioners further contended that the continued denial violates the basic structure of federalism. They emphasized that the current situation could lead to "grave harm" to the country's federal framework if the court does not intervene promptly.
They also noted that since assembly elections in the region were conducted peacefully, there are no longer any security concerns that would hinder the restoration of statehood. Therefore, they requested the apex court to direct the Union government to act within a fixed timeframe — preferably within two months.
