Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union government to restore the communications in the Jammu and Kashmir region. Country’s apex court ordered the central government to ensure that the normalcy returns to the state.
The Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi was hearing the pleas filed by Congress activist Tehseen Poonawalla and Journalist Anuradha Basin. The pleas called for seeking the withdrawal of restrictions imposed in the valley. The Bench also had Justice SA Bobde and Justice SA Nazeer.
The Court questioned the center on why the restrictions are still imposed in the region. It inquired as to why the region was still under the shutdown phase. CJI himself said that he will visit Srinagar to asess the situation. The Bench said “All forms of communication, subject to overriding consideration of national security, shall be normalized, if required on a selective basis, particularly for healthcare facilities.”
The court also urged the center to restore the normalcy in schools and hospitals. The judge said that the situation is very serious as the common people are unable to approach Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Previously on hearing the petition, the supreme court had rejected the petition and agreed to review the situation after 2 weeks.
The court also warned the petitioners that if the allegations are found to be incorrect then they should be ready to face consequences. The court also ordered Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta to submit an affidavit stating all the steps taken by the government yet so far.
Attorney General of India, KK Venugopal informed the court that medical facilities are being provided to the people in the state. Tushar Mehta said that since the repeal of Article 370, not a single bullet has been fired till date.
In a surprising turn of events, Farooq Abdullah has been placed under detention under Public Safety act.