SC judgement records Centre’s assurance that UT status is temporary, Delay in statehood restoration not justified: Ashok Bhan

New Delhi, Dec 15, KNT: Senior advocate and constitutional commentator Ashok Bhan on Monday said the continued delay in restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir is increasingly indefensible, citing the Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench judgement on Article 370.

Bhan pointed out that the judgment records a clear assurance by the Solicitor General of India that statehood would be restored and that the Union Territory status of Jammu and Kashmir was temporary. More than five years after the 2019 reorganisation, he said, that commitment remains unfulfilled despite elections and relative administrative stability.

He said the prolonged absence of statehood undermines democratic federalism, as real authority continues to rest with the Lieutenant Governor and the Union government, limiting the role of elected representatives and weakening public trust.

Bhan argued that there is no convincing security or administrative rationale for further delay, noting improvements in electoral participation and governance. He warned that keeping a state downgraded for years sets a harmful constitutional precedent.

He said restoring statehood would strengthen democracy, reinforce federal principles, and help build long-term stability by empowering an accountable elected government. [KNT]