Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta said that sharing viewpoints that are distinct from those of the state would not be seditious, and refused to entertain a PIL against former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah .The complainant demanded action against the chief of the National Conference on the abolition of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

On Wednesday, the Apex Court rejected a plea seeking an order against former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah for his statements against the revocation of the former state’s special status under Article 370.

The SC also levied a fine of Rs 50,000 on the petitioners for filing the plea in court against Abdullah. The petition cited Abdullah’s supposed statements that in Article 370 he requested the support of China and Pakistan against India.

A controversy erupted after Farooq Abdullah while talking to media said that he hopes that special status of the region would be restored. He also said Whatever they [China] are doing at LAC [Line of Actual Control] in Ladakh is all because of the abrogation of Article 370, which they never accepted,” Abdullah was quoted as saying by the news channel. “I am hopeful that with their support, Article 370 will be restored in J&K.”