PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti seeks early SC hearing on Article 370

Mehbooba Mufti. File Pic

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday requested Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud for an early hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the revocation of Article 370 in August 2019.

CJI Chandrachud is currently on a tour of Jammu and Kashmir and delivered the inaugural address on the second day 19th All India Legal Services Authorities meeting in Srinagar on Friday, besides attending the foundation laying function of the new high court complex in Jammu a day earlier.

"We welcome CJI to Jammu and Kashmir and want to remind him of Article 370 and the commitment of the people of the country to maintain the special status (of J&K under the constitutional provision) when the Muslim majority region joined hands with India without any compulsion," Mehbooba told reporters.

The PDP leader requested the CJI to ensure an early hearing of the petitions on Article 370. "We want to invite the attention of the CJI to the petitions which are pending in the Supreme Court for the last four years and also towards the plight of... people, especially the youth who are in jails within and outside J-K without any trial," Mehbooba said.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP), National Conference (NC) and other parties in Jammu and Kasmir have opposed the scrapping of Article 370 which gave special status to J-K.

"The BJP revoked Article 370 unconstitutionally and illegally despite several past rulings by the Supreme Court in the cases filed by Sampat Prakash (1968), VijayalaxmiJha (2018) and Prem Nath Kaul (1959), reiterating that the Article will not be touched unless J&K constitutional assembly recommends for the same," Mehbooba claimed.

Earlier in a tweet, Mehbooba said Article 370 is a constitutional commitment of this nation to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. "J&K acceded to India out of choice & not compulsion. Then why is it being deprived of basic fundamental rights & guarantees given by the Constitution itself? I earnestly hope your presence throws light upon these pressing issues," she said.

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