Buoyed by the directive, J&K government said the debate on the special status should now rest after the court ruling. Under Article 370, J&K is the only state in the country to have a state Constitution, flag and penal code.
Battling unpopularity and mounting anger, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti got a fresh lifeline when Delhi High Court dismissed the petition challenging the validity of special status of J&K under Article 370 of the Constitution.
A division bench of Delhi HC comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath dismissed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging Article 370 saying "nothing survives in it as the Supreme Court has already dismissed a petition on this issue".
Buoyed by the directive, J&K government said the debate on the special status should now rest after the court ruling. Under Article 370, J&K is the only state in the country to have a state Constitution, flag and penal code.
J&K Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan told DNA that the government has contested hard and cited two judgments of the Constitution bench of the Supreme Court to drive the point home about the validity of the Article 370. "The court heard this case at length and the petition was dismissed," he said.
He also blamed successive Congress and National Conference (NC) governments for diluting the Article 370 from time to time. "Now the court has ruled in our favour which should be an eye-opener," he said.
Main opposition National Conference (NC) welcomed the judgment but reminded PDP about its alliance partner BJP's stand of abrogation of Article 370. "At the end of day they realized that Article 370 is very important for the relationship of J&K with the union of India. However, the BJP has been reiterating time and again that is their mission to scrap article 370," said Ali Mohammad Sagar, NC general secretary.
BJP reacted guardedly saying their alliance with PDP is based on the agenda of alliance. "We are in alliance with PDP on the issue of good government. Our judiciary is independent and free," said Khalid Jehangir, spokesman of BJP in Kashmir.
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