Ready for polls in Jammu and Kashmir, but decision awaits EC nod: Central Government tells SC
PTC Web Desk: The Central Government on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the elections in Jammu and Kashmir are possible at any moment, yet the authority to make this decision rests with the Election Commission and the state poll panel.
These remarks were made in the context of a series of petitions being heard that challenge the revocation of Article 370. Earlier, the Central Government had argued that Jammu and Kashmir was one of a kind and the bifurcation was needed.
During the previous hearing on Tuesday, the Supreme Court had emphasised the need to reinstate democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, a region that had been devoid of an elected government since June 2018.
During the hearing on Thursday, the Central Government, however, declined to offer a specific timeline for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
So far, at the heart of the arguments, is if due process was followed while abrogating Article 370 and dividing state into two union territories- J&K and Ladakh.
On the other hand, leaders and petitioners hailing from Ladakh have conveyed their dissatisfaction regarding the statement made by the Solicitor General that Ladakh will continue as a Union Territory. Over the course of the past two years, substantial protests have taken place in Ladakh, as its residents have voiced their demand for the region to be granted statehood.
Following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, the Central Government had announced its intention to reinstate statehood at a suitable time. Home Minister Amit Shah has reaffirmed this commitment, although no specific deadline has been established for this action.
- With inputs from agencies
