Delhi:
The Article 35A of the Indian Constitution, which empowers Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents, has been scrapped with immediate effect. President Ram Nath Kovind has given nod to the proposal by the Narendra Modi government. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also proposed that Kashmir and Jammu division will be separate Union Territory with legislature.
Constitution (application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019, reports ANI.#JammuandKashmirhttps://t.co/eBcnVJYccV pic.twitter.com/eF9QBdR4Qo
— News Nation (@NewsNationTV) August 5, 2019
“#ModiSarkar @narendramodi @AmitShah correcting a historic blunder #Kashmir CONGRATULATIONS INDIA Thank you @narendramodi ji @AmitShah ji THIS IS THE BEST HOMAGE TO ALL SOLDIERS MARTYRED IN KASHMIR #Article370 going going .... (gone),” Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said on Twitter. "BJP made a mockery of the Constitution," said Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad on scrapping of Article 370. Meanwhile, PDP's Mir Fayaz and Nazir Ahmed Laway were asked to go out of the Upper House after they attempted to tear the Constitution, ANI said.
Meanwhile, Kashmir remains on the edge as authorities stepped up security deployment at vital installations and sensitive areas amid heightened terror threat and flare up of hostilities with Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC). Some official documents, accessed by News Nation, indicate that phone connections could be snapped soon in the Valley as satellite phones and closed group mobile phones have been distributed to top government officials. Sources also confirmed News Nation about the latest development. "Satellite phones and closed group mobile phones have been distributed in central, north and south Kashmir among the security officials to deal with the law and order situation in case of downing the entire communications network in Jammu and Kashmir," the sources said.
There have been panic and rumours across the Valley with the Centre taking a flurry of initiatives over the last few weeks. In less than a week, the Centre decided to deploy additional 38,000 troops in the Kashmir Valley in two batches - 10,000 and 28,000.
