New Delhi, October 1: A 5-judge Supreme Court bench that was hearing a bunch of petitions on the abrogation of Article 370 and other issues in Kashmir has granted the Centre four weeks’ time to reply to all pleas challenging the move.
The Supreme Court constitution has granted the government 28 days’ time to reply to all Kashmir petitions and one week to the petitioners to file their responses after the government’s reply.
The petitions on Kashmir will again be heard on November 14. Supreme Court has allowed the Centre and J&K administration to file counter-affidavits on petitions challenging scrapping of Article 370.
Attorney General KK Venugopal sought 4 weeks’ time while Solicitor General for Jammu and Kashmir also sought the same amount of time to file replies to the bunch of petitions.
The petitioners however opposed the Centre’s demand and said that the move will render all petitions infructuous or pointless.
This will be applicable to all petitions that were filed till Tuesday and the court said that the Supreme Court registry will not entertain any further writ petitions on the same issue.
Even as deadline for implementing the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir is on October 31, the Centre and J&K government has been given four weeks’ time to file reply to petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 and J&K Reorganisation Act.
The court refused to pass any order on the implementation of J&K Reoganisation Act and said any such move “can turn back the clock if we decide in your favour”.
