SCBA president Aggarwala welcomes verdict upholding govt's decision to abrogate Art 370

New Delhi: Supreme Court Bar Association chief Adish C Aggarwala on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict upholding the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

During the day, the top court unanimously upheld the government's action and directed restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir "at the earliest" and set a September 30, 2024 deadline for holding assembly elections there. "Abrogation of Article 370 from the Constitution of India will make the people of Kashmir proud as earlier they were neglected by the people of different countries," Senior Advocate Aggarwala said, adding, "The judgment will bring prosperity and development in the region."

The top court's direction to hold the election by September 2024 will strengthen the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir, he said. Aggarwala said, "I hope the Modi government will be in a position to hold the assembly election even before September 2024, as now there will be complete peace in the valley after this historic judgment."