BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, August 14 – The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its stance on a plea seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir, with Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud noting that “ground realities” in the region, such as the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack, could not be ignored.
A bench of CJI B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran was hearing an application filed by college teacher Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, represented by Senior Advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, who argued that nearly two years had passed since the court’s ruling in the Article 370 case without any progress on restoring statehood.
In its December 2023 verdict upholding the abrogation of Article 370, the Supreme Court had not examined the constitutionality of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which split the former state into two Union Territories—J&K and Ladakh—after the Solicitor General assured the bench that statehood would be restored “at the earliest.” The court directed that elections be held in J&K by September 30, 2024, but set no specific timeline for statehood restoration.
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Sankarnarayanan stressed that the assurance must be honoured and pointed out that the Assembly elections had been conducted peacefully, removing any perceived impediment. Former J&K Chief Secretary’s counsel supported the plea, signalling they would also file a similar petition. Senior Advocate Maneka Guruswamy appeared for another applicant, Irfan Lone.
Jammu & Kashmir Statehood || “You Can’t Ignore What Happened In Pahalgam”: Supreme Court Adjourns Plea for 8 Weeks. pic.twitter.com/2u21kAV2P8
— KNS (@KNSKashmir) August 14, 2025
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Union, countered that the application was “not maintainable” and reminded the court that it had previously imposed costs on similar pleas. “Elections are held, but decision-making in this part of the country involves several considerations,” he said, adding that security concerns remain significant.
CJI Gavai interjected, stressing the importance of factoring in security incidents such as the Pahalgam attack when discussing statehood restoration.
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Several counsels urged the creation of a dedicated bench to hear all statehood-related petitions together. The court has now listed the matter for hearing after eight weeks, directing the Union Government to file its response promptly.
The petitioners argue that the delay undermines India’s federal structure—a basic feature of the Constitution—and violates the trust placed in the Union’s commitment.
