Article 370 hearing: Centre says ‘no intent’ to touch special provisions of Northeast, SC disposes of intervention plea

With the Centre making it clear that it has “absolutely no intent” to touch the special provisions of the Constitution concerning states in the Northeast and other parts, the Supreme Court Wednesday refused to be drawn into a debate over them and disposed of an intervention application which sought to raise apprehensions.

A five-judge bench, presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, was hearing petitions challenging the Centre’s 2019 move to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union territories.

“The applicant…has urged that apart from the provisions which are contained in Part XXI of the Constitution pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir, there are special provisions in the Constitution governing the northeast in the same part. Hence it has been submitted that the interpretation which would be placed by this court on Article 370 may possibly impact upon the other provisions,” the bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, and Surya Kant, said in its order.