New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Friday a batch of applications seeking a time-bound restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the causelist on the apex court’s website, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran will take up the matter on October 10.

In an earlier hearing on August 14, the CJI Gavai-led bench had referred to the “ground realities” and the Pahalgam terror attack while agreeing to list the matter after eight weeks. “You will also have to take into consideration the ground realities. You cannot ignore what has happened in Pahalgam,” the bench told applicants seeking an earlier hearing.

The applicants argued that the prolonged delay in restoring statehood is “gravely affecting the rights of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and also violating the idea of federalism.” They submitted that failure to restore statehood within a defined timeframe amounts to a breach of federal principles, which form part of the Constitution’s basic structure. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan noted, “It has been 21 months since the Article 370 judgment. There has been no movement towards the restoration of statehood.” He added that the Constitution Bench had relied on assurances from the Union government that statehood would be restored.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, questioned the maintainability of the applications and sought that the pleas be listed after eight weeks. He cited the “peculiar position” in Jammu and Kashmir and said the matter was not at the correct stage for consideration. “It has been 21 months since the Article 370 judgment. There has been no movement towards the restoration of statehood,” Mehta said. He added, “I don't know why, at this stage, this issue is agitated, but list it after eight weeks. I will take instructions. My prayer is for eight weeks because this particular stage is not the correct stage to muddy the water.”

After hearing the submissions, the CJI Gavai-led bench sought the Union government’s stand on the matter and posted it for hearing after eight weeks.

In the Article 370 verdict delivered by a five-judge Constitution Bench headed by then CJI DY Chandrachud, the court left open the question of whether Parliament can alter a state’s status by converting it into one or more Union Territories. The verdict relied on an oral assurance from the Centre that statehood would eventually be restored to Jammu and Kashmir. During the hearing, the Centre’s law officer had noted that the Union Home Ministry could not provide an exact timeframe and that restoration of statehood would take “some time.”

IANS