SC defers hearing on plea challenging Article 370 to September

Srinagar: The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing of a plea challenging Article 370 of the Constitution, a media report said today.

The petition challenging the Article that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian Union, which was listed for today, will come up for hearing in September.

“The petition was listed for hearing on Friday but we have been informed by the court that it has been deferred to September,” advocate general DC Raina was quoted as having said by The Tribune.

Raina, according to the report, said the petition was deferred by the Supreme Court’s roster as important cases like reservation and promotion were pending before the constitutional bench.

The petition filed by Kumari Vijayalakshmi Jha contends that the Article 370 was a temporary provision that had automatically lapsed with the dissolution of the J&K’s Constituent Assembly on January 26, 1957.

The petition was earlier dismissed by the Delhi High Court in April 2017.

In the week beginning September 27, the Supreme Court will hear a bunch of petitions challenging the validity of Article 35-A of the Constitution, which bars outsiders from buying immovable property in the state.

Separatists have called for shutdown in J&K on August 26 and 27 to protest against the petitions challenging the validity of Article 35-A. (GKNN)