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Scrapping Article 370 essential to achieve normalcy in country's 'crown jewel', Jammu and Kashmir: Amit Shah

WION Web Team
New DelhiEdited By: Sparshita SaxenaUpdated: Aug 05, 2019, 06:39 PM IST
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Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha. Photograph:(ANI)

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'I am convinced this will result in the end of violence in Jammu and Kashmir,' Shah said. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday addressed Rajya Sabha and replied to the debate in the Upper House on the revocation of Article 370 and Article 35A in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah opened his address by stating that he has brought a "historic proposal" to the table.

Calling Jammu and Kashmir the "crown jewel of India", Shah said that all efforts must be made to attain normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. 

"I am convinced this move will result in the end of violence in Jammu and Kashmir," Shah said. 

The Home Minister further added that the reason for corruption, poverty, underdevelopment and lack of investments in Jammu and Kashmir was Article 370

"I want to tell the people of J&K what damage 370 & 35A did to the state. It's because of these sections that democracy was never fully implemented, corruption increased in the state, that no development could take place," Shah stated. 

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"The entire country is on the path of development, it is heartwrenching to see the state of villages in Jammu and Kashmir," Shah noted exuding confidence that scrapping Article 370 will better the situations in Jammu and Kashmir. 

"Tourism could not take place in Jammu and Kashmir because of Article 370," he noted. 

"Scrapping Article 370 is also essential to end terrorism," he stated.

"We must all rise from vote bank politics and work for the development of Jammu and Kashmir, we must work as a unified House," Shah wrapping up his address in the Upper House in the presence of  Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also resounded similar sentiments on Monday.

Lauding centre's decision of scrapping Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir she said that the move will facilitate the development of Jammu and Kashmir. 

"No investment is happening in Jammu and Kashmir," Sitharaman said, adding that "with this move, the true development and integration of Jammu and Kashmir will happen". 
 
The finance minister said that the entire nation had been waiting for this for the last 70 years. 

"Even our manifesto mentioned the need to abrogate Article 370, so it is not something we brought out suddenly like a rabbit from a magic hat," she said. 

The government on Monday announced the bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. While Jammu and Kashmir will be a Union Territory with a legislature, Ladakh has been converted into a separate Union Territory sans legislature. The Union Territory of Ladakh will be administered by Delhi.