Article 370 on Kashmir’s special status to be scrapped

While addressing the Rajya Sabha earlier today, Union Minister Amit Shah moved a resolution to scrap Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which grants special status to the state. “Not all provisions of Article 370 will be applicable in Kashmir,” he announced.

Article 370, which provides autonomous status to J&K, reads, “Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this article, the President may, by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may specify.” Adding to the proposal, the Union Minister stated that Ladakh will now be given the status of Union Territory without a legislature while Jammu and Kashmir will be a separate Union Territory with a legislature.

Article 370 specifies that except for defence, foreign affairs, communications and matters specified in the Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir, the Parliament needs the state government’s ratification for all other laws. Thus, the state’s residents lived under a separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians, according to a report.

Amit Shah’s announcement was followed by massive protests in the Upper House from the opposition over the turmoil in the state. Jammu and Kashmir’s former Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah were placed under house arrest Sunday night amid a massive security-built up in the state. Broadband internet, Cable TV, and mobile services were entirely shut down in several places and all public gatherings were banned in Srinagar district as section 144 of the CrPC was imposed from midnight.