SRINAGAR: Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Friday praised the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the move has led to prosperity and democratic progress in the region.
He said scrapping the Article in 2019 ended the perception that Jammu and Kashmir was a region separate from the rest of India. Speaking during a diplomatic visit to Indonesia, Khurshid addressed members of Indonesian think tanks and academia as part of an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation. He said the special constitutional status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 had fostered a sense of separateness, which was “a major problem.”
“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 an impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end,” Khurshid said.
The former external affairs minister is accompanying a multi-party delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha. The delegation is touring Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore to engage with foreign policymakers and brief them on India’s regional security initiatives, including Operation Sindoor.
Salman Khurshid emphasized the democratic gains following the abrogation, citing a 65% voter turnout in subsequent elections and the formation of an elected government in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. “There was an election with 65 per cent participation. There’s an elected government in Kashmir today,” he noted. “For people to want to undo everything that has happened, the prosperity that has come to Kashmir, it would not be advisable.” (ANI)
