Kashmir had major problem, Article 370 abrogation put an end to it, says Salman Khurshid
Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who is part of the all-party delegation on Operation Sindoor outreach mission said that the scrapping of Article 370 ended the long-standing problem
- NEW DELHI — Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who is part of the all-party delegation
on Operation Sindoor outreach mission, has said in Indonesia that the scrapping
of Article 370 ended the long-standing problem of separatism in Jammu and
Kashmir.
-
- He said this while interacting with members of Indonesian
think tanks and academia as part of an all-party Indian parliamentary
delegation.
-
- "Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much
of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called
370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave the impression that it was separate
from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated, and it was finally
put to an end," he said.
-
- Article 370 of the Constitution accorded special status
to Jammu and Kashmir until it was revoked by the BJP-led government on August
5, 2019. After the abrogation, the state was bifurcated into Jammu &
Kashmir and Ladakh. Both were turned into union territories.
-
- Khurshid, who is accompanying a multiparty delegation led
by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, also noted that the post-abrogation
environment in Jammu and Kashmir has yielded progress. He cited the 65 per cent
voter turnout in subsequent polls and the formation of an elected government in
the union territory.
-
- "Subsequently, there was an election with 65 per
cent participation. There's an elected government in Kashmir today, and
therefore, for people to want to undo everything that has the prosperity that
has come to Kashmir. It would not be advisable," he added.
-
- The delegation currently visiting Southeast Asia
comprises representatives across political lines, including BJP MPs Aparajita
Sarangi, Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, and Hemang Joshi, Trinamool Congress’
Abhishek Banerjee, CPI(M)'s John Brittas, and former Indian Ambassador Mohan
Kumar.
-
- The delegation on Thursday held extensive interactions
with prominent think tanks and academia, Resident Ambassadors of friendly
foreign missions in Jakarta, as well as with the leaders of the National
Mandate Party (PAN), a Modernist Muslim Party of Indonesia.
