A bench led by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is scheduled to hear petitions today, August 14, 2025, seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The hearing takes place a day before India's Independence Day.
The petition was filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, a lawyer and academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist. They argue that the continued delay in restoring statehood violates the principle of federalism, which is a part of the basic structure of the Constitution. The petitioners highlight the Supreme Court's December 2023 directive that statehood should be restored "at the earliest and as soon as possible," but claim that no concrete steps or timelines have been established to implement this directive. They argue that holding assembly elections before restoring statehood would undermine the idea of federalism.
The case was initially mentioned on August 5 by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan before a bench comprising CJI B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran. Sankaranarayanan noted that the hearing was previously listed for August 8 on the Supreme Court website and requested that it remain on the cause list. The CJI agreed to this request. Another connected petition filed by Irfan Hafiz Lone is also listed for hearing.
In its December 11, 2023, verdict on Article 370, the Supreme Court upheld the central government's decision to abrogate the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the court also stated that the "restoration of statehood shall take place at the earliest". The Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024. Elections were indeed conducted in September-October 2024. The court left open the question of whether Parliament could completely convert a state into a Union Territory. In May 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed review petitions challenging its December 2023 verdict.
The plea for restoration of statehood is being heard amidst growing political momentum on the issue. The Congress party has launched a campaign advocating for the restoration of statehood. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has appealed to all political parties, including the BJP, to introduce a bill in Parliament during the current monsoon session to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. The BJP-led government at the Centre has stated its intention to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
