The Supreme Court of India, on Thursday, 14th August, said that demands for restoring Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood cannot be seen separately from the recent Pahalgam terror attack and the security situation in the region.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, was hearing a petition asking the Centre to follow the court’s December 2023 order, which said J&K’s statehood should be restored soon after the Assembly elections.
The Assembly elections were held in September–October 2024, and the Omar Abdullah-led National Conference, along with its INDI Alliance ally Congress, formed the government after winning the elections.
The petition now demands that statehood be brought back within two months, calling the delay a violation of India’s federal structure. Senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayan asked the court to hear all such pleas together.
The Chief Justice said the government’s reply should come first before they reach a decision. Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said statehood had been promised but urged against “muddying the waters” now.
J&K lost its statehood in August 2019 when Article 370 was revoked and the state was split into two Union Territories, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. While restoring statehood was a key poll promise for the INDI Alliance, focus shifted after the Pahalgam terror attack on 22nd April, 2025, when 26 tourists, mainly Hindus were killed.
