SC to continue hearing Thursday petitions challenging abrogation of Article 370
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday will continue hearing today various pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
A five-Judge Constitution Bench of Justices NV Ramana, SK Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, BR Gavai and Surya Kant on Wednesday heard petitions which were filed after the central government scrapped Article 370 in August last year and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
On Tuesday, the court was told that Article 370 of the Constitution was the only “tunnel of light” which maintained the relationship between the Centre and the valley state.
Petitioners challenging the Centre’s decision taken on August 5 last year to abrogate provisions of Article 370 contended that the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be repealed in the exercise of powers under the Article, which gave special status to the erstwhile state.
A five-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana, was told by senior advocate Dinesh Dwivedi, appearing for an intervenor, Prem Shankar Jha, that the issue needs to be referred to a larger bench as there is a dispute between two judgements of a five-judge bench which dealt with provisions of Article 370.
Besides challenging the Centre’s decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370, Jha has sought reference of the issue to a larger bench of seven judges for definite adjudication.
The bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai and Surya Kant, said it would first hear the submissions on reference and then would take a call on whether to refer the issue to a larger bench.
Dwivedi said the two judgements of the five-judge bench of the apex court in 1959 in Prem Nath Kaul versus Jammu and Kashmir and in 1970 in Sampat Prakash versus Jammu and Kashmir, which dealt with the issue of Article 370, were in conflict with each other.
Dealing with the Presidential orders of August 5, last year, Dwivedi said due to these orders issued under Article 370 (1) and (3), all provisions of the Indian Constitution have been applied to Jammu and Kashmir.
“This virtually abolishes the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. It’s a case of implied repeal where a Constitution has been repealed by an executive exercise of powers,” he argued.
Dwivedi said, “Article 370 was the only tunnel of light connecting the Centre to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Article 370 required that action of the government of India should have the concurrence of Jammu and Kashmir constituent assembly, which was dissolved in 1957 after framing the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir”.
The senior lawyer said the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was not created under the Constitution of India or Article 370 and therefore J&K constitution cannot be repealed in the exercise of powers under Article 370.
“On August 5, 2019, the power under Article 370 (1)(d) could only be exercised in compliance with Article 370(2), which was impossible in absence of Constituent Assembly of J&K. The power to issue such Presidential Order under Article 370(1)(d) could not be exercised by the President with the concurrence advise of the Governor only,” he said.