New Delhi | The Supreme Court has dismissed two petitions which challenged the abrogation of Article 370 today and slammed an advocate for filing a defective petition.
The bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was particularly furious over the petition filed by advocate ML Sharma and said that it had ‘no meaning’.
The top court was hearing the petitions challenging the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370, which lent special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and subsequent measures putting restrictions on the working of media in the region.
A special bench, comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer, was hearing the petitions filed by advocate M L Sharma and Executive Editor, Kashmir Times, Anuradha Bhasin.
CJI Gogoi said that he read the petition for 30 minutes but could not figure out the message.
“You are not praying for setting aside the Presidential order. What is the prayer it is not clear. It can be dismissed on technical grounds,” the apex court went on to add.
The advocate in his plea has claimed that the Presidential order on Article 370 was illegal since it was passed without the consent of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. He had filed the petition one day after it was revoked.
The matter has been adjourned for next week. Court has told the respective lawyers to rectify all the mistakes in the petition.
Journalist’s petition
Appearing for Anuradha Bhasin, executive editor, Kashmir Times, advocate Vrinda Grover, told the court that the lockdown on all the communication lines has made it difficult for the journalists.
The journalist has sought directions for restoring of all modes of communication, including mobile Internet and landline services, throughout the state.
The Supreme Court responded saying that Government should be given more time to restore a normal situation.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the government is reviewing the situation on a daily basis. “Trust your security agencies. We are reviewing the situation every day. We are working with the best interest in mind,” he said.
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