Kashmir had major problem, Article 370 abrogation put an end to it, says Salman Khurshid

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Article 370 of the Constitution accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir until it was revoked by the BJP-led government on August 5, 2019.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.

The discussions marked a continuation of India’s strategic outreach to garner international support against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The group has been briefing stakeholders in Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore on India’s Operation Sindoor that targeted terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

IANS