SC dismisses plea against constitution of delimitation commission in J-K

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the government's decision to constitute the delimitation commission for redrawing the legislative assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

A bench of Justices S K Kaul and A S Oka delivered the verdict on a plea filed by two Kashmir residents.

While pronouncing the verdict, Justice Oka said nothing in this judgement shall be construed as giving an imprimatur to the exercise of power under clauses one and three of Article 370 of the Constitution.

The bench observed that issue of validity of the exercise of power relating to Article 370 is subject matter of petitions pending before the apex court.

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The top court is seized of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

Several petitions have been filed in the apex court challenging the Centre's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which split J-K into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

By abrogating Article 370, the Central government had revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The apex court had on December 1 last year reserved its verdict on the plea challenging the government's decision to constitute the delimitation commission.