India’s top court rules special status of held Kashmir was a ‘temporary provision’

India’s Supreme Court on Monday ruled that the special status of held Kashmir was a temporary provision and upheld the order abrogating Article 370 in the constitution, Indian media outlets reported.

It also directed the election commission to hold elections in held Kashmir by September 30, 2024.

In 2019, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status by repealing Article 370 of the constitution. The law had limited the power of the Indian parliament to impose laws in the state, apart from matters of defence, foreign affairs and communications.

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The move allowed people from the rest of the country to have the right to acquire property in held Kashmir and settle there permanently.

Kashmiris, international organisations and critics of India’s Hindu nationalist-led government had termed the move an attempt to dilute the demographics of Muslim-majority Kashmir with Hindu settlers.

A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud had begun hearing the set of petitions challenging the reading down of Article 370 of the Indian constitution on on July 11 and reserved its verdict on September 5.

More to follow