Overview
- Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran granted the Union government four weeks to respond to petitions seeking time-bound restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought more time, citing consultations with the J&K administration, recent security concerns including the Pahalgam attack, and claimed substantial progress since 2019.
- Petitioners, including Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, Khurshaid Ahmad Malik and MLA Irfan Hafiz Lone, asked the court to enforce the Centre’s 2023 undertaking to restore statehood recorded in the Article 370 judgment.
- Counsel for the applicants argued that continued delay undermines federalism and democratic representation, and some requested referral to a five-judge Constitution Bench given the earlier bench’s strength.
- The bench noted that assembly elections were held peacefully and recorded the Centre’s submissions, stressing that ‘ground realities’ must be considered before the next hearing in four weeks.