Supreme Court Begins Hearing of Pleas Challenging Nullification of Article 370

New Delhi: A five-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Wednesday started hearing on petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the nullification of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcation of the Jammu and Kashmir state into Union territories.

The other four judges on the Constitution Bench are Justice SK Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant.

Opening arguments on behalf of the petitioners, Sibal termed the hearing as “historic”.

Sibal has been allotted 10 hours for his oral submissions. In his opening statement, he elaborated on the historical background of the accession of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union.

The hearing is expected to go on for several days.

There are more than 20 petitions challenging the Presidential Orders nullifying Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution; and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories – Jammu and Kashmir; and Ladakh.

These petitioners wanted the top court to declare the August 5 Presidential Orders “unconstitutional, void, and inoperative”.

The changes under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, came into effect on October 31, 2019 after being notified in the official gazette.