The Supreme Court of India has decided to conduct daily hearings on a set of petitions challenging the abrogation of occupied Kashmir’s special status from August 2, Indian media reported on Tuesday.
In 2019, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status by repealing Article 370 of the constitution. The move allowed people from the rest of the country to have the right to acquire property in occupied Kashmir and settle there permanently.
Article 370 had limited the power of the Indian parliament to impose laws in the state, apart from matters of defence, foreign affairs and communications.
A number of petitions had been filed by private individuals, lawyers, activists, and political parties, questioning the constitutional validity of the Indian government’s move.
A five-judge bench took up the plea and fixed July 27 as the deadline for filing written submissions and convenience compilations by different parties.
“Hearing to commence on August 2 at 10:30am and then proceed on a day-to-day basis,” the report quoted the Indian apex court as saying.
The court will conduct ‘day-to-day’ hearing on the petitions except for Mondays and Fridays, which are designated for proceedings on miscellaneous matters in the apex court.
It said that its order that the Indian government had assured that the affidavit submitted on Monday had “no bearing on the constitutional issues raised in petitions”, a report by The Indian Express stated.
