On Monday, India’s top court upheld the legality of the law passed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019 that revoked the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir from statehood and special status.
Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud headed the constitution bench of the Supreme Court.
We hold the exercise of presidential power to issue constitutional order abrogating Article 370 of Constitution as valid. All provisions of the Indian Constitution can be applied to Jammu and Kashmir.
In September, the court concluded arguments on a slew of petitions challenging the legality of the law passed by the Modi government in 2019.
In response, several individuals, groups and political parties filed about 20 petitions in the apex court, labelling the decision unconstitutional.
The decision is expected to boost the electoral prospects of Modi’s ruling Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party in national polls next year. The 2019 move resonated across much of India, where supporters hailed the Modi government for fulfilling a long-standing Hindu nationalist promise to abolish the special status of the Muslim-majority region.
