Supreme Court: Supreme Court hearing on Article 370 abrogation: Mehbooba Mufti, other J&K leaders express hope for justice | India News

NEW DELHI: Even as the Supreme Court continues the hearing of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti expressed her party’s optimism in the judicial process to deliver justice.

“We hold expectations from the Supreme Court that it will uphold justice. Our struggle is far from over; it will persist,” Mufti said. She also said that this issue extends beyond legality for her, carrying profound emotional significance for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba Mufti also accused the BJP of misusing their majority in the Parliament to subvert the Indian Constitution.

‘We have hopes from SC…’
In a metaphorical analogy, Mufti invoked the characters of Lord Krishna and Dhritarashtra from the Indian epic Mahabharata, positing that the Supreme Court must choose their role carefully. “Now the Supreme Court has to decide whether they want to play the role of Lord Krishna or Dhritarashtra. If they want to play the role of Krishna they have to see whatever wrong things happened with us after the abrogation of Article 370. If they don’t see this then like Drishtrashtra they have covered their eyes,” she said.
Have engaged best lawyers: Omar Abdullah
The National Conference has engaged the best lawyers in the Supreme Court to challenge the revocation of Article 370, said party leader Omar Abdullah on Thursday and expressed hope the judges will be convinced by their arguments.
“We are fighting and we are there with a hope for justice. We have not left any stone unturned, we engaged the best lawyers and their performance was appreciated by all. The hearings are on and we hope the judges will be convinced by our arguments. It will go on and we are waiting,” he said.
Speaking at the National Conference’s headquarters, Abdullah praised the choice of legal representation, having retained Kapil Sibal and Gopal Subramanium, esteemed legal minds in the country. Abdullah acknowledged that success or failure ultimately lies in providence, but stressed the importance of exhaustive effort.
False narrative built that J&K not part of India: Dushyant Dave
Dushyant Dave, a senior advocate, conveyed to the Supreme Court that the process of nullifying Article 370 exhibited constitutional “fraud” and was executed in flagrant disregard of constitutional provisions.
He argued that Article 370 cannot be abrogated by the President in exercise of power conferred under clause (3) and could have only been done through a constitutional amendment. He reiterated that the procedure adhered by the Centre to nullify Article 370 amounted to “fraud”.
Referring to the election manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Dave underscored its intent to repeal Article 370. He argued that these manifestos should align with constitutional norms, citing Election Commission guidelines from 2015. Dave contended that the abrogation aimed to bolster the political standing of the ruling party.
The Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, is presently examining a cluster of petitions challenging the Article 370 annulment and the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
The Constitutional Bench includes Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant.
The Central Government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
(With inputs from agencies)