A day after the Supreme Court agreed to list pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370, senior CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami on Thursday said it is a welcome step.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha on Wednesday agreed to examine and list pleas challenging the Centre's August 5, 2019 decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
"It is a welcome step. Before this as well, the former CJI had said that the pleas will be taken up after the Dussehra holidays. Now, yesterday, the CJI said they will examine and list the pleas. I am hopeful that there is a possibility that they will be taken up soon," Tarigami told reporters in Kulgam district.
Earlier on April 25 and September 23, a bench headed by the then CJI N V Ramana, since retired, had agreed to list for hearing the pleas challenging the Centre's decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370.
Tarigami also called for assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
"J&K is the only place in the country where there has been no assembly since 2018... Is the Constitution not implemented (applicable) here? Then they should announce that this (J-K) is outside the ambit of the Constitution. Why are not they taking any steps?
"It is not a big deal to conduct an assembly election," he said.