Unveiling the manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Amit Shah has ruled out the restoration of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state, and said the provision has now “become history”.
The restoration of Article 370, which was abrogated in 2019, has been promised in the manifesto released by the National Conference, which is contesting the elections in an alliance with the Congress. The Assembly polls will be the first since 2014 and are also being keenly watched to gauge how the people of Jammu and Kashmir feel about the removal of the provision.
In Jammu and Kashmir on a two-day visit, Mr Shah said the former state has been very important to the BJP since Independence and the party has made efforts since then to keep it connected with India.
“Till 2014, the shadow of separatism and terrorism hung over Jammu and Kashmir. Various state and non-state actors tried to destabilise it and governments adopted a policy of appeasement. But, whenever the history of India and Jammu and Kashmir is written, the years between 2014 and 2024 will be written in golden letters for J&K,” the minister said in Hindi.
