Published 14:08 IST, August 13th 2019
J&K: Supreme Court says govt should get reasonable time to ensure normalcy, refuses to pass directions on Congress plea over lifting restrictions
Hearing the plea against abrogation of Article 370 on Tuesday, the apex Court refrained from intervention in the state and adjourned the plea for two weeks.
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Even as the Government has been continuously emphasizing that situation in Jammu and Kashmir is normal and no untoward incident has occurred since the abrogation of Article 370, and that the abrogation of the Article is for the benefit of the people of the state, there has been a petition from the Congress in the Supreme Court against it. Hearing the plea on Tuesday, the apex Court refrained from intervention in the state and adjourned the plea for two weeks.
Speaking for the government, the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta explained that restrictions in the state are being placed reasonably and after consulting the district magistrates, he further said that the restrictions will be lifted one by one. He also informed that it took three months to bring normalcy in Jammu & Kashmir in 2016 and more than 47 persons were killed but this time not a single person lost life.
After hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court adjourned the plea for two weeks and rejected passing any order sought by the PIL. The apex court clearly stated that it won't interfere in J&K. Observing that present situation in J&K is "very sensitive" and it should be ensured that there is no loss of life there, the Court highlighted the fact that reasonable time should be given to the government to ensure normalcy in J&K.
On its part, the Centre told the SC that it is reviewing the situation in J & K on a day-to-day basis."We have to ensure that law and order situation in J&K is maintained." Agreeing to the steps taken by the government to restore normalcy in the state, the Supreme Court said that time must be given to the Centre and that it will take up the matter after two weeks.
A three judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra was hearing the petition filed by Congress activist Tehseen Poonawalla on the Centre's decision to impose restrictions and "other regressive measures" in Jammu and Kashmir following the revocation of the provisions of Article 370.
13:42 IST, August 13th 2019