Kashmir’s special status revoked through Article 370

NEW DELHI: Indian government has introduced a resolution to eliminate Article 370 of the Constitution which grants special status to occupied Kashmir on Monday.

A cabinet meeting was held on Monday morning at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.

Home Minister Amit Shah announced in Rajya Sabha earlier today that the government had decided to repeal Article 370 of the Constitution.

Home Minister Amit Shah tabled the bill in the parliament amid opposition members protest.

The Home Minister in a statement said, “Jammu and Kashmir will be a union territory with legislature while Ladakh will be a union territory without legislature”.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said in the Rajya Sabha that entire Kashmir is under curfew with Section 144 imposed in several districts.

He said, “It’s a war-like situation with mobile phones and internet services shutdown and several Kashmiri leaders under house arrest.”

The Indian authorities have banned public movement and closed all educational institutions in Kashmir.

The crackdown imposed on late Sunday night has left millions stranded in their homes as authorities also suspended some internet services and deployed an additional 28,000 troops around the increasingly tense region.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is a temporary provision which grants special autonomous status to occupied Kashmir.

According to this article, except for defence, foreign affairs, finance, and communications, the Indian Parliament needs the state government’s concurrence for applying all other laws.

The residents of occupied Kashmir, therefore, live under a separate set of laws as compared to Indian citizens elsewhere in the country, including legislation related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights.

On Sunday, United Nations urged India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint amid escalating tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed Kashmir region.