Major problem, finally put to end: Salman Khurshid on Article 370 abrogation

Article 370 of the Constitution, which had granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, had long created a perception of Kashmir being separate from the rest of India and this perception has finally been put to an end with the government's abrogation of the article, Congress leader Salman Khurshid said in Indonesia while interacting with a delegation.

Calling the sense of a "separate" identity a "major problem", Khurshid further highlighted the positive outcomes since the abrogation, including 65 per cent voter participation in subsequent elections, which led to the establishment of an elected government in Kashmir. He argued against any attempts to reverse these developments, pointing to the "prosperity" that has emerged in the region.

"Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave an impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end," he said.

According to the senior Congress leader, the BJP-led central government's decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status in August 2019 has led to positive changes and increased prosperity in the region.

"Subsequently, there was an election in 65 per cent participation in election. There's an elected government in Kashmir today and therefore for people to want to undo everything that has happened, the prosperity that has come to Kashmir," he added, while addressing members of Indonesian think tanks and academia.

Khurshid, a former External Affairs Minister, is part of an all-party delegation led by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, which is visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore to brief the countries on Operation Sindoor and India’s position on regional security dynamics.