(Image source from: Twitter.com/ANI)

Today, the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the Union government's decision in 2019 to amend Article 370 of the Constitution, which resulted in the removal of the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. The court upheld the validity of the Constitutional order that abolished Article 370.

A bench of five judges, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, had reserved its judgment on 23 petitions related to this matter on September 5th of this year, after conducting hearings for 16 days. The bench also included Justices S K Kaul, Sanjeev Khanna, B R Gavai, and Surya Kant.

CJI DY Chandrachud stated that Jammu and Kashmir lost its internal sovereignty upon joining India, and there was no clear evidence to suggest that the President's orders in 2019 were unlawful or exceeded his authority. While the court acknowledged that the reorganization of the former state into Union Territories was a temporary measure, it instructed the government to restore statehood and conduct Legislative Assembly elections.

The region witnesses actions carried out by the State and its agents.