The Indian Supreme Court today backed the Centre’s move to scrap special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and ordered elections next year. Article 370 was a temporary provision to ease Jammu and Kashmir’s merger with India, said Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, reading out a majority Supreme Court judgment. The Supreme Court said Jammu and Kashmir should be put on par with other states “at the earliest and as soon as possible”, and called for state elections by September 30, 2024. The bench gave three separate judgments – one authored by Chief Justice Chandrachud on behalf of himself, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant; another concurring judgment by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and a third judgment concurring with the other two by Justice Sanjiv Khanna – so all the five judges have unanimously upheld the presidential order to scrap Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir did not retain sovereignty when it joined India and its constituent assembly ceased to exist the moment it merged with India, the Supreme Court said, explaining the decision. “The J&K constituent assembly was not intended to be a permanent body. It was formed only to frame the Constitution. … Continue reading Indian Supreme Court Backs Scrapping Of J&K Special Status