REACTION OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL OF INDIA

BY A STAFF REPORTER: 5th August, 2019 and today's date will go down in the history of India when a himalayan constitutional blunder of the past with gigantic proportion is ultimately corrected by the Government. Being the only lawyer involved in the process of abrogation of Article 370 through constitutional and legal means before 5th August, 2019 and having led the arguments before the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court while defending the constitutional process, it is a historical day for me too.

It is only the iron will of our Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji and resolute decisiveness and brilliant strategy of our Hon'ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shahji which made this historical decision possible. The nation will ever remain indebted to them. I have had the good fortune of witnessing and being a part of the entire process which exhibited their exemplary resolve coupled with minute coordination of the smallest details and flawless and scientific stewardship of the parliamentary process and floor management inside the House. The judicial adjudication by the Hon'ble Supreme Court is also equally historical and rare. A five Judge Constitution Bench decided the matter which consisted of all first five senior-most judges viz. Dr. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Hon'ble Chief Justice of India, Justice S.K. Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice Bhushan R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant.

A historical bench presided by the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India and also comprising of three future Chief Justices of India. All five are legendary judges who are undisputably intellectual giants. Very patient hearing given to all sides for more than three weeks. And today comes a judgment which will go down in the history of this great country exhibiting astounding scholarship, concern for rule of law and a visible concern for the fundamental rights of equality of every resident of J&K irrespective of religion, sex, caste or creed. The highest court of the country, the most powerful court in the world, has stood by the constitutional values and has secured to all the residents of Jammu and Kashmir their legitimate rights which they were deprived of since independence while taking care of democratic election also.

Having extensively read the history behind insertion of Article 370 into our constitution, I can confidently say that the soul of Sardar Patel will be fully contended today as the provision which he could not prevent from being inserted in the Constitution of India has finally gone. He must be showering his blessings upon Shri Narendra Modiji and Shri Amit Shahji.