Supreme Court is expected to hear a plea seeking directions to the Centre for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir on August 8.The matter was raised by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan on Tuesday before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, reported PTI.Tuesday, August 5 marks sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, which had accorded special status to Jammu & Kashmir.On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court had unanimously upheld the Centre’s move to revoke Article 370, while directing that assembly elections be held in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024. The court had also directed the Centre that statehood be restored “at the earliest”.A plea was filed last year by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist, seeking restoration of statehood within two months.

“It is submitted that the delay in the restoration of statehood would cause serious reduction of democratically elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, causing a grave violation of the idea of federalism which forms part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India,” the plea stated.The petition also said that both the assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls were conducted peacefully in the region without any reports of violence or security concerns.“Therefore, there is no impediment of security concerns, violence or any other disturbances which would hinder or prevent the grant/restoration of the status of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as had been assured by the Union of India in the present proceedings,” it added.It further stated, “The non-restoration of the status of statehood of Jammu & Kashmir will result in Jammu & Kashmir being given a lesser form of elected democratic government, especially in light of the legislative assembly results being declared on October 8, 2024.”The plea contended that despite the apex court’s directive to restore statehood “at the earliest and as soon as possible”, no steps had been taken by the Centre to provide any timeline for implementation.“It is submitted that Jammu and Kashmir is being operated as a Union Territory for a period of almost five years now, which has caused many impediments and grave losses to the development of Jammu and Kashmir and has affected the democratic rights of its citizens,” the application said.