In response to the Supreme Court’s affirmation of the abrogation of Article 370, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi voiced concerns over demographic changes impacting the Dogras of Jammu and Buddhists of Ladakh. He questioned the absence of a timeline for the reinstatement of statehood, emphasizing the need for early elections in J&K.
Owaisi asserted that the constitutional relationship between J&K and the Union, while integral, allowed for distinctiveness. He warned against normalizing the abrogation, cautioning it could set a precedent for other regions like Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, or Mumbai. Owaisi raised the issue of Ladakh’s governance under a Lt. Governor without democratic representation.
Highlighting the lack of public deliberation in Kashmir during the abrogation and the absence of an elected legislative assembly, Owaisi referred to the Bommai judgment, stressing the importance of federalism and questioning Parliament’s authority to replace the Assembly’s decisions in the constitution. He labeled the Article 370 abrogation as a violation of constitutional morality.
