Share this @internewscast.com

SRINAGAR, India — India’s top court on Monday upheld a 2019 decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to strip disputed Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as a semi-autonomous region with a separate constitution and inherited protections on land and jobs.

The five-judge constitutional bench of the Supreme Court ruled that the region’s special status had been a “temporary provision” and that removing it in 2019 was constitutionally valid.

The unprecedented move also divided the region into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, both ruled directly by the central government without a legislature of their own. As a result, the Muslim-majority region is now run by unelected government officials and has lost its flag, criminal code and constitution.

But Chief Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud said the government has promised to restore Jammu-Kashmir’s statehood and should do so as soon as possible. Ladakh, however, will remain a federal territory.

He also ordered the country’s election commission to hold local legislative polls in the region by next Sept. 30.

The ruling is expected to boost the electoral prospects of Modi’s governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in national polls next year. The 2019 move resonated in much of India, where the Modi government was cheered by supporters for fulfilling a long-held Hindu nationalist pledge to scrap the Muslim-majority region’s special status.

But the judgment will disappoint many in Kashmir, including the region’s main pro-India Kashmiri politicians who had petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse the deeply unpopular decision, which was imposed under an unprecedented security and communication clampdown that lasted many months.

The court’s hearings began in August and included extensive arguments and discussions on the move’s constitutional validity.


Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Trump administration cuts nearly $8B in clean energy projects in blue states

Trump Administration Reduces Clean Energy Funding by $8 Billion in Democratic-Leaning States

The Trump administration is cutting $7.6 billion in grants that funded numerous…
Israel claims Greta Thunberg's flotilla seeking to break Gaza blockade has Hamas ties, cites documents

Israel Alleges Greta Thunberg’s Flotilla Attempting to Break Gaza Blockade is Linked to Hamas, According to Documents

Israel says it has proof linking Hamas to the Global Sumud Flotilla…
Texas megachurch founder Robert Morris pleads guilty to child sex abuse charges

Texas Megachurch Leader Robert Morris Admits to Child Sexual Abuse Offenses

The founder of a Texas megachurch, who stepped down last year following…
DOE Takes a Scalpel to 'Nearly $8B' in Blue States' Green Energy Waste During Schumer Shutdown

DOE Targets Nearly $8 Billion in Green Energy Mismanagement in Blue States Amid Schumer Shutdown

The Democrats seem to have significantly misjudged their strategy in causing a…
Flashback, 2020: Dem Candidates Unanimously Favor Free Healthcare for Illegal Aliens

Looking Back to 2020: Democratic Candidates Support Free Healthcare for Undocumented Immigrants

Notice how, now that the country is caught up in the Schumer…
Jacksonville man arrested for possession of CSAM

Jacksonville Resident Charged with CSAM Possession

Police said that the man had over 400 files on various devices…
Trial day 2 explores evidence in Prince Holland case

Second Day of Hearings Delves into Prince Holland Case Evidence

Jurors were shown of crime scene photos, walked through bullet-ridden evidence and…
Church of England names Sarah Mullally first woman Archbishop of Canterbury after Welby exit

Sarah Mullally Becomes First Female Archbishop of Canterbury Following Welby’s Departure

The Church of England announced Friday that Sarah Mullally will become the…
Prince William gives rare Kate Middleton cancer update in vulnerable talk with Eugene Levy

Prince William Shares Heartfelt Update on Kate Middleton’s Cancer Journey in Candid Conversation with Eugene Levy

Prince William provides a rare update on his wife, Kate Middleton, after…
Chicago Drives Electric event returns to Oakbrook Terrace in October with Chicago Automobile Trade Association

Chicago’s Electric Vehicle Event Returns to Oakbrook Terrace This October With Support from the Chicago Automobile Trade Association

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Drives Electric event in Oakbrook Terrace is…
Immigration judge denies Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s bid for asylum, but he has 30 days to appeal

Judge Rejects Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Asylum Request, He Has 30 Days to File an Appeal

A U.S. immigration judge on Wednesday denied a bid for asylum from…
Student uproar erupts at elite college after professor put on leave over ties to far-left gun club

Elite College in Turmoil as Professor’s Suspension Linked to Far-Left Gun Club Sparks Student Protests

The community at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill gathered…