Jagan offers prayers with family members at Andhra’s Pulivendula church

New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday sought the Union government’s stand on a batch of applications demanding the time-bound restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

A Bench of CJI B.R. Gavai and K. Vinod Chandran was hearing pleas contending that the continued delay in restoring statehood is “gravely affecting the rights of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and also violating the idea of federalism”.

The applications argued that the failure to restore statehood within a time-bound framework amounts to a violation of federalism, which forms part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution.

“It has been 21 months since the Article 370 judgment. There has been no movement towards the restoration of statehood,” submitted senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, adding that the Constitution Bench had trusted the Union government when the Solicitor General assured it that statehood would be restored.

On the other hand, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, questioning the maintainability of the applications, urged the apex court to consider the “peculiar position” in Jammu and Kashmir and sought that the pleas be listed after eight weeks, saying this was not the “correct stage” to consider the matter.

“The MAs (miscellaneous applications) are not maintainable. We had assured two things: the election would be held, and thereafter, the statehood. Your lordships are aware of the peculiar position emerging from this part of our country. There are several considerations,” said SG Mehta.

“I don’t know why, at this stage, this issue is agitated, but list it after 8 weeks. I will take instructions. My prayer is for eight weeks because this particular stage is not the correct stage to muddy the water,” Mehta added.

After hearing the submissions, the CJI Gavai-led Bench listed the matter after eight weeks.

In ‘re: Article 370 of the Constitution’ verdict, a 5-judge Constitution Bench, headed by then CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, had left open the question of whether the Parliament can extinguish the character of statehood by converting a state into one or more Union Territories, relying on an oral statement made on Centre’s behalf that statehood would be restored to Jammu and Kashmir. In the course of the oral hearing, the Solicitor General, the second-highest law officer of the Centre, had submitted that the Union Home Ministry cannot give any exact timeframe and it would take “some time” for the restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the Constitution Bench, also comprising Justices S.K. Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, Gavai and Surya Kant, had ordered the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take steps to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, constituted under Section 14 of the Reorganisation Act, by September 30, 2024, and said that “restoration of statehood shall take place at the earliest and as soon as possible”.

It had upheld the status of Ladakh as a Union Territory under Article 3(a) read with Explanation I of the Constitution, which permits the formation of a Union Territory by separating a territory from any state. In May 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed review petitions challenging its verdict, stating there was “no error apparent on the face of the record” and refused to list the matter in open court.

–IANS

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Bhopal, Dec 11 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday announced that the state is now free of Naxal presence after the last two Maoists, identified as Deepak and Rohit, surrendered before security forces in Balaghat district.

In a virtual address, Yadav said that over the past 42 days, 42 Maoists have surrendered across Balaghat, Dindori, and Mandla districts.

“With the remaining two surrendering today, Madhya Pradesh is now Naxal-free,” he declared.

The Chief Minister noted that seven Naxal attacks occurred in the past two years, during which security forces killed 10 hardcore Naxalites carrying a combined bounty of Rs 71 lakh.

He announced that a comprehensive Naxal eradication campaign will begin in Balaghat from January, offering a 15-year rehabilitation package to those returning to the mainstream, while strict action will continue against others.

Yadav credited the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for accelerating the anti-Naxal drive, which was initially scheduled for completion by March 2026 but is now expected to conclude by January 2026.

He paid tribute to police and paramilitary personnel who lost their lives in encounters since Naxal activities began in the state in the early 1990s, noting that 38 members of the Hawk Force have died since 1989.

The Chief Minister revealed that more than 8,500 undercover operatives and senior police officials, including those of Director General rank, were deployed in affected areas.

“Naxalism was a major hurdle in Madhya Pradesh’s progress for decades. We believe no Naxal activities will occur again, and the state’s growth rate will accelerate,” Yadav said.

–IANS

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Shillong, Oct 23 (IANS) The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has opposed a recent Central government directive that removes the requirement for public consultations before uranium mining projects can begin in tribal areas, calling it a direct threat to indigenous rights and environmental safeguards.

During a council session here on Wednesday night, Chief Executive Member (CEM) Winston Tony Lyngdoh introduced and passed a resolution rejecting a September memorandum issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The memorandum exempts mining projects involving atomic minerals — such as uranium — from mandatory public hearings, under amendments made to the Mines and Minerals Act, 2023.

The move is intended to expedite approvals for what the Centre terms “critical and strategic” minerals.

Lyngdoh warned that the exemption could have far-reaching consequences for tribal communities in Meghalaya. He said the directive undermines long-standing traditional governance systems by allowing mining in tribal territories without the consent of local populations.

“Such policies disregard community voices and put both the environment and public health at risk,” Lyngdoh told the House.

The resolution urged the Central government to exclude areas under the KHADC’s jurisdiction from the memorandum’s purview.

Lyngdoh said that the council had already written to the MoEFCC secretary seeking such an exemption, but had not received any formal response so far.

Opposition leader Titosstarwell Chyne, however, said the resolution fell short of expectations. He argued that limiting the exemption request to Khasi Hills alone would tacitly endorse uranium mining in other tribal regions such as the Jaintia and Garo Hills.

Chyne demanded that the KHADC call for the complete withdrawal of the memorandum across all tribal territories in Meghalaya.

He further cautioned that removing the public hearing process would effectively silence indigenous voices and weaken community oversight of mining decisions that could irreversibly impact their ancestral lands.

Chyne reminded the council that earlier attempts by the Centre to initiate uranium mining in the state had met with widespread protests, reflecting deep-rooted public opposition to such projects due to their environmental and social implications.

–IANS

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