The hearing on Article 370 will now be held on August 2

National desk:
A five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday heard petitions challenging the deletion of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.  The bench asked all the parties in the case to file their replies by July  The case will now be heard from August 2.  During the hearing, the Supreme Court made a major remark.  He said he would not hear the Centre's new affidavit on the status of Jammu and Kashmir as it had nothing to do with the constitutional question.  The bench said it would only hear the constitutional issue.
 Twenty-three petitions have been filed in the court against the removal of Article 370.  The Constitution Bench comprises Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Sanjeev Khanna, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Suryakant besides Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.
 The hearing will now be held from 10:30 am except Mondays and Fridays.  The Constitution Bench asked that the files and all documents related to the case be filed paperless.  All parties file their answers in electronic mode.
 "The case was heard before us by a three-judge bench and the issue was whether it should go before five judges," Justice Kaul said.  Now I'm puzzled as to why the additional affidavit is required.  Nothing has changed, the issue remains the same.