Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, reacting to the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the abrogation of Article 370, credited the development to the "iron will" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "brilliant strategy" of Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Union Government's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and said that every decision taken by the Centre on behalf of a State can't be subject to a legal challenge.
"It is only the iron will of our Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and resolute decisiveness and brilliant strategy of our Home Minister Amit Shahji that made this historical decision possible. The nation will ever remain indebted to them," said Tushar Mehta in a statement.
"I have had the good fortune of witnessing and being a part of the entire process which exhibited their exemplary resolve coupled with minute coordination of the smallest details and flawless and scientific stewardship of the parliamentary process and floor management inside the House," added SG Mehta.
The Solicitor General hailed the five judge bench judgement saying that it showed concern for rule of law and a visible concern for the fundamental rights of equality of every resident of J&K.
"The judicial adjudication by the Hon'ble Supreme Court is also equally historical and rare. A five Judge Constitution Bench decided the matter which consisted of all first five senior-most judges viz. Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, Justice S.K. Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Bhushan R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant. A historical bench presided by the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India and also comprising of three future Chief Justices of India. All five are legendary judges who are undisputable intellectual giants. Very patient hearing given to all sides for more than three weeks. And today comes a judgment which will go down in the history of this great country exhibiting astounding scholarship, concern for rule of law and a visible concern for the fundamental rights of equality of every resident of J&K irrespective of religion, sex, caste or creed. The highest court of the country, the most powerful court in the world, has stood by the constitutional values and has secured to all the residents of Jammu and Kashmir their legitimate rights which they were deprived of since independence while taking care of democratic election also" the Solicitor General said in his statement.
Further getting in into the history of Article 370, and mentioning nations first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Mehta said, "Having extensively read the history behind insertion of Article 370 into our constitution, I can confidently say that the soul of Sardar Patel will be fully contended today as the provision which he could not prevent from being inserted in the Constitution of India has finally gone. He must be showering his blessings upon Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The speech of Shri Amit Shahji in Parliament is as historical as the Constituent Assembly debates and will go down in the history as one of the few statesmanly speeches while shaping the sovereignty of India in more than one way."
Earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the abrogation of Article 370.
PM Modi in his post on X said "Today's Supreme Court verdict on the abrogation of Article 370 is historic and constitutionally upholds the decision taken by the Parliament of India on 5th August 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."
The PM further assured that the government is committed to the resilient people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in fulfilling their dreams.
"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," PM Modi said on X.
"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. #NayaJammuKashmir," he added.
On August 5, 2019, the central government announced the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two union territories. )
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