Article 370 : SC Constitution Bench To Hear Tomorrow Petitions Challenging Abrogation Of J&K Special Status, State Bifurcation

The Supreme Court Constitution Bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, Sanjay Kishen Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant to hear Tomorrow the petitions challenging the Presidential Orders under Article 370 which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

It was on August 28 that the bench of CJI Gogoi, Justices Bobde and Abdul Nazeer referred the matter to the Constitution Bench, while considering as many as fifteen petitions challenging the Presidential Orders.

National Conference leaders Mohammed Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi (who is a former judge of J&K High Court), former IAS officer and J&K politician Shah Faesel, activist Shehla Rashid, Kashmiri lawyer Shakir Shabir, Advocate M L Sharma, are some of the petitioners.

Some of the petitions also challenge the constitutional validity of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019, which bifurcated the state into Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

The order issued by President Ram Nath Kovind on August 5 under Article 370(3) of the Constitution had the effect of nullifying Article 35A of the Constitution and making the provisions of Indian Constitution applicable to Jammu and Kashmir. This was followed by another order passed on August 6, which read down Article 370 to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.