289.
(SC) 13-02-2023
A. Constitution of India, Article 13, 368 – Constitutional Validity of Statute -- When a party wants to challenge the constitutional validity of a statute, he must plead in detail the grounds on which the validity of the statute is sought to be challenged -- In absence of the specific pleadings to that effect, Court cannot go into the issue of the validity of statutory provisions -- Constitutional Courts cannot interfere with the law made by the Legislature unless it is specifically challenged by incorporating specific grounds of challenge in the pleadings -- Reason is that there is always a presumption of the constitutionality of laws -- Burden is always on the person alleging unconstitutionality to prove it -- A Constitutional Court cannot casually interfere with legislation made by a competent Legislature only by drawing an inference from the pleadings that the challenge to the validity is implicit.
(Para 14)
B. Constitution of India, Article 170, 239A -- Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019), Section 1 – Conflict with Article 170 of Constitution -- Article 170 will have no application to Legislative Assembly of the Union territory of J & K as it forms a part of Chapter III of Part VI which deals with only the State Legislature -- Legislative Assemblies of the concerned Union Territories will be governed by the law made by the Parliament in accordance with Article 239A and not by the provisions of Chapter III of Part VI -- Argument that certain provisions of the J&K Reorganisation Act and actions taken thereunder are in conflict with Article 170 and in particular Clause (3) thereof is clearly misconceived and deserves to be rejected.
(Para 23)
C. Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019), Section 11, 60, 62, 63 – Constitution of India, Articles 81, 82, 170, 330, 332, 370 -- Increase and adjustment of Legislative Assembly/ Parliamentary seats – Appointment of Delimitation Commission – Challenge to -- There is no illegality associated with the delimitation/readjustment of Parliamentary constituencies of the Union Territory of J & K -- No illegality associated with the establishment of the Delimitation Commission -- Once the Delimitation Commission was established, there is nothing wrong if the Central Government extended the period of appointment of the Chairperson till the task of delimitation/readjustment was completed.
(Para 31-36)