While determining the legality of the abrogation of Article 370, certain crucial questions regarding it remain unanswered, CPI general secretary D Raja said on Monday.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's verdict upholding the union government's decision to abrogate Article 370, Raja said a detailed response to the judgement will be issued later.

Meanwhile, the BJP state leader P K Krishnadas said the order was a major setback to the opposition parties, including the Congress and the CPI(M).

Terming the apex court verdict as "historic", he said, "The abrogation of Article 370 was a major decision to safeguard the unity and integrity of the country. After that normalcy returned to Kashmir." Addressing reporters in Kottayam, Raja said the judgment needs to be studied thoroughly and one cannot rush to conclude that the top court has upheld the government's position.

"When Article 370 was abrogated, statehood was snatched from Jammu and Kashmir, the state was bifurcated. This judgement may raise several questions like what's the power of the President, what's the power of union government, what's the power of elected state Assemblies," he said.

Later, the Left leader posted on X that while determining the legality of the abrogation of Article 370, certain crucial questions about the issue remain unanswered.

"The haste on part of the BJP government, zero consultation with people or political parties of J&K and the stubbornness, all smell of authoritarianism," he said.

While upholding the government's decision on Article 370, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court also directed that statehood to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir be restored at the earliest and said steps should be taken to conduct elections to the Assembly in the Union Territory by September 30 next year.

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