Article 370 is dead, cannot be brought back, says BJP’s Altaf Thakur as SC is set to hear pleas against it

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 3 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party Spokesperson Altaf Thakur on Monday said that Article 370 was removed legally in the parliament. He said that Article 370 is dead and dead cannot be brought back.

Supreme Court’s five-judge Constitution bench will hear on July 11 a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories.
“Article 370 was removed legally by the Parliament. Those who want to take the matter to courts can do so as they are open to all. But, article 370 is already dead…The dead cannot be brought back…,” BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said on the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court to hear Petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 on July 11.

On the other hand, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) and Janata Dal (United) welcomed the decision.

“We wholeheartedly welcome this development, people of J&K and Ladakh have been eagerly awaiting this day…we have faith in court and we hope the arguments are concluded fast and a verdict will come very soon…” said Tanvir Sadiq, chief spokesman and communication in charge of National Conference while speaking to ANI.

National Conference Provincial President Ratan Lal Gupta said, “We welcome this decision, there should be a hearing on this & a verdict must come as soon as possible…the way abrogation of Article 370 was done, was unconstitutional, therefore we filed numerous petitions in the Supreme Court…we have complete faith in the judiciary.”

GM Shaheen from JD(U) said, “We will welcome every step taken by the honourable Supreme Court. People have faith in the judiciary… As far as the abrogation of Article 370 is concerned, the majority of the people are upset about the issue… We expect the verdict will be in our favour. This will be a big win for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti also took to Twitter and welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision.

“Welcome Hon’ble SC’s decision to finally hear petitions pending since 2019 challenging the illegal abrogation of Article 370. I hope justice is upheld & delivered for the people of J&K. The SC ruling on Article 370 maintained that the provision can be abrogated only on the recommendation of the J&K constituent assembly,” Mehbooba Mufti wrote on Twitter.

The Supreme Court’s five-judge Constitution bench will hear on July 11 a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant will hear the case on July 11.

The petitions which are pending since 2019 have not been taken up for hearing since March 2020.

Various petitions are pending before the top court challenging the validity of the law scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution and special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.

On August 5, 2019, the Central government announced its decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two Union territories.