Two people have submitted an application to the Supreme Court of India requesting the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood within two months, local media reported Monday. Jammu and Kashmir was previously stripped of autonomy and placed under the Indian government’s control in 2019.

The application was submitted by academic Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and socio-political activist Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, arguing that the delay in restoring the region’s statehood undermines democratic governance and violates the principles of federalism enshrined in the Constitution of India. The petitioners further contended that the recent peaceful assembly elections demonstrate that no security concerns are preventing this restoration, according to local media sources.

The application further emphasized that without statehood, the upcoming legislative assembly results would be rendered meaningless, claiming that the absence of a full-fledged state government compromises the democratic rights of residents and calling for immediate action from India’s central government to fulfill its assurances regarding statehood.

The Supreme Court previously upheld the abrogation of Article 370 of India’s Constitution in 2023. The article granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. In the court’s ruling, it directed the Indian Government to restore statehood “at the earliest” but did not specify a timeline.

Jammu and Kashmir was designated a Union Territory following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. This decision was part of a broader reorganization that split the region into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.