Article 370: Indian SC declares IIOJK ‘integral part’ of country
- Web Desk
- Dec 11, 2023
NEW DELHI: The Indian Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Article 370 which guaranteed special status to Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was a temporary provision and that the occupied territory was an integral part of the country, according to NDTV.
The judgment, delivered by a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, comes four years after the Modi-led government unilaterally abrogated the region’s special status in August 2019.
The bench, which heard the matter for 16 days and reserved its verdict on September 5, upheld the government’s decision, stating that Article 370, which provided special status to the region, was a temporary provision.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in August 2019 unilaterally abrogated the special status of the occupied valley and deployed tens of thousands of troops in a bid to ward off protests against the illegal move.
Subsequently, a batch of petitions challenged the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution and a five-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud heard the matter for 16 days and reserved its verdict on September 5.
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The Indian CJP-led announced the verdict today and held that the occupied territory became an integral part of India “which is evident from Article 1 and 370 of the constitution”.
The top court also upheld the Indian government’s decision to abrogate the disputed region’s semi-autonomous status, stating that the IIOJK “does not have internal sovereignty”.
The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir does not have internal sovereignty different from other states of the country, he said.
“… all provisions of the Indian Constitution can be applied to J-K,” the CJI said.
“We hold the exercise of presidential power to issue constitutional order abrogating Article 370 of Constitution as valid,” the CJI said.
Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India and this is evident from Articles 1 and 370, he said while pronouncing the judgment.Gaza health situation is ‘catastrophic’: WHO chief
The Indian Supreme Court also directed the country’s election commission to conduct elections in IIOJK by September 2024.
The judgment has significant implications for the region and has reignited discussions on the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. As the news unfolds, political leaders continue to voice their opinions, with the opposition pushing for the reinstatement of Article 370, which granted special status to the region.