A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court backed the Centre's move to scrap Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which granted the erstwhile state a special status. Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud-led Supreme Court bench pronounced three judgements on the matter.
The Supreme Court ruled that Article 370 was a temporary provision to ease the merger of Jammu and Kashmir in the Union of India. The Supreme Court also directed the Election Commission of India to conduct elections in the Union Territory by September 2024. The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Centre's decision to carve out the Union Territory of Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
Who Said What
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad, who served as the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, called the verdict "sad and unfortunate" and said, the people of the region are not happy with the verdict but we have to accept it.
"The people of Jammu and Kashmir are not going to lose hope or give up. Our fight for honour and dignity will continue regardless. This isn't the end of the road for us. This is the loss of the idea of India," People's Democratic Party, Mehbooba Mufti said. "The hand that you held has been wounded," she said in a video message posted on X.
Karan Singh, a Congress leader and the son of Hari Singh, the former Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, said, "My sincere advice to a section of people in Jammu and Kashmir who will not be happy with this judgment is that they should accept the inevitable and they should accept the fact that now this has been done and the Supreme Court has upheld the action and therefore there's no point now unnecessarily hitting their head against the wall."
"Now my suggestion is that they should turn their energies towards fighting the next elections. That is where the people should now be motivated instead of developing any negativity," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Supreme Court's decision "historic" and said, "The Court, in its profound wisdom, has fortified the very essence of unity that we, as Indians, hold dear and cherish above all else."
"The verdict today is not just a legal judgment; it is a beacon of hope, a promise of a brighter future and a testament to our collective resolve to build a stronger, more united India," the Prime Minister posted on X.
Quoting poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz to express hope in despair, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and National Conference leader, Omar Abdullah, said, "Disappointed but not disheartened. The struggle will continue," adding, "It took the BJP decades to reach here. We are also prepared for the long haul."
"The Supreme Court verdict on Article 370 is disappointing. Justice yet again eludes the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 may have been legally obliterated but will always remain a part of our political aspirations," Jammu and Kashmir, Peoples Conference chief, Sajad Lone said.
"The BJP welcomes the decision given by the Honorable Supreme Court regarding Article 370," BJP chief JP Nadda said.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has done the historic work of including Jammu and Kashmir in the main ideology of the country, for this I and crores of our workers express our heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister," he added.
"The entire region now echoes with melodious music and cultural tourism. The bonds of unity have strengthened, and integrity with Bharat stands reinforced," Home Minister Amit Shah reacted on the verdict.
"Under the leadership of PM Modi, our government is committed to establishing lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and the all-around development of the region," he added.
"The decision given by the Honorable Supreme Court regarding Section 370 and 35 A is commendable. This is going to strengthen the spirit of 'Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat'," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said.
"Certainly, under the successful leadership of the Prime Minister, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh region will set new standards of good governance, development and prosperity," he added.
In a separate ruling during the hearing of the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul called for an impartial investigation into human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir since the 1980s. Justice Kaul emphasised the original intent of Article 370, stating its aim was to gradually integrate Jammu and Kashmir into India.
