A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the 2019 decision of the Centre to abrogate Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, even as it ordered elections to the Union Territory by September 30, 2024. CJI DY Chandrachud said Article 370 was a temporary provision and J&K did not retain its sovereignty after it acceded to the Union of India.
The decision of the Supreme Court was hailed by the ruling BJP, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a "resounding declaration of hope, progress and unity". However, regional Kashmiri politicians like former CMs Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah expressed their disappointment at the court's verdict, saying the "fight for honour and dignity will continue".
Globally, the news made headlines on every prominent international platform.
British public service broadcaster BBC, in an article with the headline "India Supreme Court upholds repeal of Kashmir's special status", said the revocation of Article 370 was one of PM Modi's poll promises in 2019 and the court's decision comes months before he seeks a third term in the 2024 Lok Sabha poll.
US media company CNN, which carried the report titled "India's top court upholds Kashmir's loss of special status in ruling hailed by Modi", said the Kashmir region had been at the epicenter of an "often-violent territorial struggle" between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan for more than 70 years and revoking its special status was one of the PM's key promises.
READ | J&K Did Not Retain Sovereignty, Article 370 Was Temporary: Top Quotes By Supreme Court
The Guardian said the Supreme Court ruling was a victory for the government of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). "The party had justified the action on the basis of bringing the security situation in the state under control, though militant attacks have continued since," it reported.
Titled "India's supreme court upholds decision to strip Kashmir of special status", the report mentioned that the verdict drew anger among Kashmir's political leaders, who have faced "house arrest and harassment" since August 2019.
News agency Reuters noted that the SC judgment was a "shot in the arm for the government" before the general election due by May. It also said that the verdict sets the stage for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, "which was more closely integrated with India" after the government's move to scrap Article 370.
Bangladesh's The Daily Star called the verdict a boost to the decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi government to scrap Article 370 over four years ago.