New Delhi
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking early hearing of a batch of petitions, challenging Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government’s decision last year to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that granted special status to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The application said that the people of IIOJK were suffering as repeated internet shutdown and restrictions were continuously damaging the economy of the territory. It maintained that it is further submitted that while the purported intent of the impugned order has continually been portrayed to have been for the betterment of the populace of IIOJK, the truth remains that it is the very people who are presently suffering in the midst.
The application moved by Shakir Shabir, one of the petitioners in the matter, sought direction for listing of his petition along with others challenging the Modi regime’s decision to abrogate the Article 370 before the duly constituted constitution bench for further hearing. “Not only due to repeated internet shutdowns and reduced internet speeds have the students and businesses being suffering in Jammu and Kashmir, the impugned order and the slew of restrictions continually damage the economy as well as everyday life of the locals, who have been completely kept away from the entire process despite the fact that each change under the laws detrimentally affects the locals at an individualistic level,” it said.
The petition said that several laws were being promulgated by the Indian government and IIOJK administration pursuant to the developments that have taken place on or subsequent to August 5, 2019. “After passage of more than one year, all such actions that are being taken by the respondents shall also be rendered illegal and void should this Court, after consideration of the petitions so filed, deem the initial impugned order to be unconstitutional and void”, it said.
The application said, mere passage of time and pendency of the present issues along with continuous enactments by Indian government and IIOJK administration give permanency to the August 5, 2019, decision which has been challenged before the court by a batch of petitions.
The petition said that subsequent to Indian government’s decision of August 5, 2019, and in the absence of any stay with regard to the same, the respondents (Indian government and IIOJK administration) were continually proceeding ahead with further changes in laws concerning the occupied territory.
It is to mention here that on March 02, this year, the apex court had declined to refer to a larger 7-judge bench a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Modi regime’s decision to abrogate Article 370. A number of petitions have been filed in the top court including those of private individuals, lawyers, activists and political parties and they have also challenged the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which splits IIOJK into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.—KMS
