Srinagar, Apr 4: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s observation that Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gives a special status to the state, is not a temporary provision.
Taking to the social networking site Twitter Mehbooba wrote “While Article 370 safeguards the territorial integrity of J & K, it plays a bigger role safeguarding the religious, cultural & linguistic integrity of our state. The Hon’ble Supreme Court’s observation regarding its permanent status is a welcome assurance to our people.
Earlier, Supreme Court of India said that Article 370 was a permanent provision in the Constitution.
“The issue is already decided in our judgment where we have said that despite the fact the headnote says it’s a temporary provision, it’s not,” Justice Nariman told counsel Anil Kumar Jha.
“The court was hearing an appeal against a 2017 Delhi High Court order that dismissed a plea seeking to declare Article 370 temporary in nature. The petitioner said that Article 370 had lapsed and that the separate constitution of Jammu and Kashmir be declared illegal.”
The petitioner also claimed that the continuing Article 370 even after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, and that of the Jammu and Kashmir “amounts to fraud on the basic structure of our Constitution.”
