House battle won over J&K's special status, but legal opinion split

Article 35(A) came into being in the Constitution on May 14, 1954, allowing the J&K Assembly to define 'permanent resident' of the state and accorded special rights and privileges to them

The Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), has polarised opinion among legal experts. Some of them have supported it, validating its legality, while others believe it is fraught with serious political consequences.

Senior advocate and constitutional law expert Rakesh Dwivedi said the decision is completely legal and there was no chance that a plea against it will succeed. “It was a long overdue, historic step,” he said. “It is a welcome step. Kashmir was also open for outsiders so I don’t understand why there should be Article 35(A).”

Article 35(A) came