Supreme Court Hearing On Article 370: The petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir will be heard in the Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 11). On May 5, 2019, the Center revoked the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
On Tuesday, a constitution bench of five judges headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud will hold the hearing. A day before the hearing (on July 10), the Center filed an affidavit defending the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.
What did the Center say in the affidavit?
The Center on Monday told the Supreme Court that after the abrogation of Article 370, the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed “unprecedented” peace, progress and prosperity. The Center said that violence perpetrated by terrorists and separatist networks is now a ‘thing of the past’.
Referring to the region’s specific security situation, the Center said incidents of planned stone-pelting linked to terrorist-separatist agenda have come down from 1,767 in 2018 to nil in 2023 as on date and 2018 in casualties of security personnel. Compared to 2022, there has been a decrease of 65.9 percent. The Center argued that the historic constitutional step has brought unprecedented progress, security and stability in the region, which was not there when Article 370 was in force.
There has been an increase in the number of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir – Center
The affidavit said, “The G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar in May 2023 was a historic occasion for tourism in the Valley and the country proudly displayed to the world its determination to transform the separatist region into a Can be done, where international dignitaries can be called and global programs can be organized.
It said, “In the improved security scenario, 1.88 crore tourists visited the Union Territory from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022, which is the highest ever.”
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