Shawdesh Desk:

Putting an embargo on fresh petitions challenging the government’s decision on Article 370, the Indian Supreme Court on Tuesday fixed November 14 to commence hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Constitutional validity of the amendment to Article 370 revoking the special status for Jammu and Kashmir.

A five-judge bench headed by Justice N V Ramana allowed Centre four weeks time to file counter-affidavits to the cases, and one week time for the petitioner to file a rejoinder, reports The Indian Express.

On Monday, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi transferred all petitions pending before it to the Constitution Bench headed by Justice N V Ramana. The bench was constituted especially to hear matters related to Article 370 starting Tuesday.

The Presidential Order, according to the petitioners, used “a temporary situation meant to hold the field until the return of the elected government, to accomplish a fundamental, permanent, and irreversible alteration of the status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir”.