Congress says debate on Article 370 is over with SC ruling, demands restoration of Statehood, immediate polls

The Congress on Monday said the debate on the abrogation of Special Status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 has ended as the Supreme Court verdict is now the law but the party demanded immediate restoration of statehood and holding of Assembly election.

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Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi, addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, said the judgment has decided many issues but left some important issues open.

“It [the judgment] has also held as ultra vires how Article 367 was invoked to amend part of Article 370. Hence the judgment needs careful study.... Prima facie, we respectfully disagree with the judgment on how Article 370 was abrogated,” Mr. Chidambaram said.

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“We reiterate the Congress Working Committee resolution dated August 6, 2019, that Article 370 deserved to be honoured until it was amended strictly in accordance with the Constitution,” he added.

The former Union Minister also expressed disappointment that the Supreme Court did not decide on the issue of “dismembering the State and reducing its status to two Union Territories”.

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The Congress leaders also asserted that it would neither seek to restore to the earlier provisions under Article 370 nor will it seek a judicial review.

“Today, this debate has ended. You are forgetting one thing. The Congress is not a party in any way in these petitions that it will file any review petition... So, this decision is final and there has never been any such agenda or announcement of ours that we will reconsider it,” Mr. Singhvi asserted.

“Democracy, and not autocracy, is the demand of every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir. Why is the BJP afraid of an elected government,” he asked and urged the government to hold election immediately.

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To a question on the top court noting that Article 370 was a temporary provision, Mr. Chidambaram said, “I don’t think there was any debate that the provision was temporary. The debate at that time was whether the temporary provision can be removed except in accordance with the Constitution”.