During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled the manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections and firmly rejected the possibility of restoring Article 370, which had granted special status to the former state. He emphasized that Article 370 has now “become history.” Meanwhile, the National Conference, in alliance with the Congress, has promised to restore Article 370 in its election manifesto. The Assembly elections will be the first since 2014 and are closely watched to understand the public sentiment in Jammu and Kashmir regarding the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. That year, Jammu and Kashmir was also divided into two Union Territories, including Ladakh, with the government promising to restore J&K’s statehood soon.
On a two-day visit to the region, Mr. Shah underscored the importance of Jammu and Kashmir to the BJP since Independence, highlighting the party’s longstanding efforts to maintain its connection with India. He remarked, “Until 2014, Jammu and Kashmir was overshadowed by separatism and terrorism. Various actors, both state and non-state, attempted to destabilize the region, and governments followed appeasement policies. However, when the history of India and Jammu and Kashmir is written, the years from 2014 to 2024 will be highlighted as a golden period for J&K.”
Shah further stated that under the shadow of Article 370, past governments often yielded to the demands of separatists and groups like the Hurriyat. He noted that over the past decade, both Article 370 and Article 35-A, which granted the J&K legislature the power to define permanent residents and accord them special privileges, have become relics of the past and are no longer part of the Constitution.
He praised the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a catalyst for development in the region. Shah also acknowledged the National Conference’s manifesto and pointed out the Congress’ “silent support” for it. However, he was unequivocal in his stance: “Article 370 is now history. It can never return, and we will never allow it to come back, as it was the cause of youth being armed with guns and stones in Kashmir.”
Regarding the Assembly elections, Shah stated that the BJP’s manifesto for Jammu and Kashmir focuses on creating a “peaceful, safe, developed, and prosperous” region.
