New Delhi, December 4 : “Article 370 was in place for decades but was there peace in Jammu and Kashmir,” asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a function here on Saturday, asserting that the abrogation of the provision in the Constitution had ushered in peace and investment.
He was referring to a statement by former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, claiming there would be no peace in the UT until Article 370 was restored. “There was Article 370 for the last 75 years. Why was there no peace? If there is a relation between peace and Article 370, was the Article not in place in 1990? Even if we include figures of targeted killings, we are not even close to 10 per cent. This means there is peace,” Shah maintained. “I am happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 from the Constitution on August 5, 2019. Kashmir is at peace now, investment is taking place, tourists are visiting and J&K is gradually looking to stand united with the rest of the country,” Shah said.
On the demand of J&K political parties that elections should take place after statehood is restored, Shah said Parliament had passed an Act that elections would be followed by a delimitation exercise. — TNS