New Delhi, Dec 11 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah Monday hailed as “historic” the Supreme Court order upholding the government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and said it has vindicated the constitutional validity of the Centre’s move and fortified the “very essence of unity”.
As a five-judge constitution bench unanimously upheld the Modi government’s 2019 decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution granting special status to the erstwhile state of J&K, the Congress said the debate over the issue has come to an end but demanded immediate restoration of statehood to J&K and the holding of assembly elections there.
Political parties in J&K expressed disappointment over the Apex court ruling. While PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti described the verdict as a “death sentence” not only for J&K but also for the idea of India, National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah said he was disappointed but vowed to continue the struggle.
The CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami termed the verdict “disturbing” and said the struggle for a better future will continue Taking to ‘X’, the two top leaders, instrumental in abrogating the provisions of Article 370 in 2019, said the top court’s decision is not just a legal judgment, but a “beacon of hope” and testament to the collective resolve to build a stronger and more united India, besides bringing peace and normalcy to Jammu and Kashmir.
Upholding the government’s decision on Article 370 of the Constitution, the Apex court also said steps should be taken to conduct the election to the Union Territory’s Assembly by September 30 next year and directed that statehood to the Union Territory of J&K be restored at the earliest.
Hailing the SC verdict as “historic”, Modi said it constitutionally upholds the decision taken by Parliament on August 5, 2019.
“It is a resounding declaration of hope, progress and unity for our sisters and brothers in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The court, in its profound wisdom, has fortified the very essence of unity that we, as Indians, hold dear and cherish above all else,” he said.
“I want to assure the resilient people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh that our commitment to fulfilling your dreams remains unwavering. We are determined to ensure that the fruits of progress not only reach you but also extend their benefits to the most vulnerable and marginalised sections of our society who suffered due to Article 370,” he asserted.
The verdict is not just a legal judgment, it is a beacon of hope, a promise for a brighter future and a testament to the collective resolve to build a stronger, more united India, Modi said on the microblogging platform, using the hashtag ‘NayaJammuKashmir’.
Shah, who moved the legislation in Parliament to abrogate Article 370 and turned the erstwhile state into two Union Territories — J-K and Ladakh — said Prime Minister Modi took a visionary decision five years ago that brought peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Welcoming the verdict, Shah said,”Today, the Supreme Court’s verdict has proved that the decision to abrogate Article 370 was completely constitutional.” Asserting that since the abrogation of Article 370, peace and normalcy have returned to J&K, Shah said prosperity in the tourism and agriculture sectors has raised the income levels of the residents of both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Growth and development have brought new meaning to life in the Valley, which was once torn apart by violence, Shah wrote on ‘X’ with the hashtag ‘NayaJammuKashmir’.
“The rights of the poor and deprived have been restored, and separatism and stone-pelting are now things of the past,” he added.
The entire region now echoes with melodious music and cultural tourism and the bonds of unity have strengthened, he said, adding Jammu and Kashmir’s integrity with ‘Bharat’ stands reinforced.
“It is once again the Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh that always belonged to our nation and will continue to be so,” the minister said.
Shah said under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the NDA government is committed to establishing lasting peace in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and the all-around development of the region.
“Whether it is boosting the local economy with new incentives, building state-of-the-art educational infrastructure, or empowering the poor with welfare benefits, we will continue to exert all our might for the region,” the home minister said.
Reacting to the SC verdict, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, the court upheld Prime Minister Modi’s decision to scrap Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution and the process followed for that.
This historic decision of the Supreme Court is going to make every Indian happy and by abrogating Article 370, Prime Minister Modi has not only written a new chapter but has also given new strength to the unity and integrity of India, Singh said.
BJP chief J P Nadda said the Constitutional Bench of the SC has upheld the process, objective, and decision to abrogate Articles 370 and 35A.
“Our government, under PM Modi has brought J&K into the mainstream, for which our millions of karyakartas extend their heartfelt gratitude to PM Modi Ji. Since the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh have witnessed a new dawn of peace, prosperity, and development,” he said on X.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the top court’s verdict is yet another victory and a moment of celebration for all the “nationalist people” of the country who dreamt of “complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with Bharat” and for which they fought political and legal battles, and even sacrificed their lives.
The Modi government withdrew the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, to undo one of the many “historic blunders” committed by the Congress during the Nehruvian era, Thakur said on X.
Several BJP leaders also hailed the SC verdict as “historic”, and said that with the scraping of the special status given to J&K, Prime Minister Modi has written a new chapter and given new strength to the unity and integrity of India.
In its reaction to the court order, the Congress demanded immediate restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and said assembly elections should be held there immediately to enable people to elect a government of their choice.
Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Abhishek Singhvi said the judgement of the Supreme Court in cases concerning the abrogation of Article 370 has decided many issues but has left some.
The Judgement needs a careful study, Chidambaram said, noting “Prima facie we respectfully disagree with judgment on the manner in which Art 370 was abrogated”.
He said the Congress has always demanded the restoration of full statehood of J&K and “we welcome the SC verdict in this regard”.
“The verdict has sent a wave of despair among the people in J-K, and Ladakh. The verdict is very disturbing because….guaranteed by the Constitution,” Tarigami said in a video statement.
The CPI(M) leader said the struggle for a better future will continue.
Writing the judgment for himself and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud said Article 370 was a temporary provision in the Constitution and the president had the power to revoke it.
The court also upheld the validity of the decision to carve out the Union Territory of Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. PTI ASK ACB PK SKC SSB SKL PYK PYK
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