Now in coming days, BJP will try to make UT of Kolkata, Mumbai: Owaisi on SC upholding abrogation of Article 370

NEW DELHI: After the Supreme Court upheld the abrogation of Article 370 today, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that he was not satisfied with this decision and in the coming days, BJP will try to make the union territories of Kolkata, Chennai and others.

"We are not satisfied with this decision. Kashmir has always been an integral part of India. Today you made one state into 3 UTs. Parliament is speaking for them, not their Assembly. Supreme Court also upheld the reorganization of Ladakh as a Union Territory. So this can be done with anyone also. Now in the coming days, BJP will try to make the union territories of Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai and no one will be able to stop it, Asaduddin Owaisi told ANI.

He further said that the abrogation of Article 370 is a violation of constitutional morality and division of state into 3 UTs is a big betrayal to the people of Kashmir.

"The question is that when you are abrogating Article 370 by imposing a curfew, there is no elected assembly. Then who deliberated in Kashmir? In my view, Article 370 abrogation is a violation of constitutional morality and the division that has taken place of a state, this is a big betrayal to the people of Kashmir. Dogras and Buddhists of Ladakh will suffer the most in the future as now you see, all the rice mill in Jammu went out of the hands of Dogras," he added.

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and directed the Election Commission of India to hold Assembly elections by September 30, 2024.

The apex court also said that "restoration of statehood shall take place at the earliest and as soon as possible". "We direct that steps shall be taken by the Election Commission of India to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir constituted under Section 14 of the Reorganisation Act by 30 September 2024," CJI DY Chandrachud said.

Supreme Court also upheld the reorganisation of Ladakh as a Union Territory. The Solicitor General, representing the Union of India, submitted that statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir and that its status as a Union territory is temporary.

"In view of the submission made by the Solicitor General that statehood would be restored of Jammu and Kashmir, we do not find it necessary to determine whether the reorganisation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir is permissible under Article 3," the court said.

A five-judge Constitution bench comprising CJI Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, and Surya Kant delivered the verdict.