New Delhi:The Supreme Court Thursday told the Delhi government counsel that it will not change the schedule of petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 after the latter requested the court to push back the Article 370 hearing and instead hear its challenge to the Centre’s service ordinance.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra decided to refer the Delhi government’s challenge to Centre’s ordinance -- Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 -- to a constitution bench. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, representing the Delhi government, requested the apex court to hear the case by deferring the August 2 hearing on the challenge to the Centre's 2019 decision to abrogate the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and divide it into two union territories.
Singhvi, opposing reference of the matter to the constitution bench, said the whole system is in paralysis and stressed that a decision by a constitution bench will take time. "I am not agreeing to a reference (to the constitution bench)…In the event lordships want to refer it, take it up before 370 or push back 370 a little bit and hear it first”, said Singhvi.