The reinstatement of Article 370 in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has been strongly rejected by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who refers to the clause as “history” that will never be repeated.
Amit addressed the area ahead of the impending Assembly elections and introduced the BJP’s agenda during a two-day tour to IIOJK.
He attacked the opposition for advancing the goal of bringing back Article 370 and 35-A, which gave the area special status, especially the National Conference (NC) and Congress.
The history is in Article 370. It left Kashmir’s young with nothing but stones and rifles in their hands,” claimed Amit.
Amit’s address also focused heavily on Pakistan, reiterating India’s stance on speaking with any country until cross-border terrorism stops.
“Bombs and talks don’t mix well. He boldly declared, “We will speak to the youth of Kashmir and offer them a path of peace and development. We will not speak to Pakistan.”
The three stages of the Assembly polls, which are expected to take place between September 18 and October 1, are the first since 2014 and are seen as a gauge of regional popular opinion.
Shah emphasized that the repeal of Article 370 had brought peace, prosperity, and progress to IIOJK in an attempt to rally support for the BJP.
He cited a seventy-percent drop in terror-related occurrences from 7,217 cases in 2004–2014 to 2,272 cases in 2014–2024. The number of civilian fatalities has also decreased by 80%, and since 2019, there have been no more stone-pelting events.
“These 10 years, from 2014 to 2024, will be written in golden letters in Jammu and Kashmir’s history,” Amit asserted.
The Indian Home Minister further blasted earlier administrations for giving in to separatist demands and enabling organizations such as the Hurriyat Conference to dominate the area.
“In the past, governments would give in to separatist demands because of Article 370. The sound of firearms has disappeared, calm has returned, and tourism is growing,” he remarked, pointing out that recent Amarnath Yatra and Vaishno Devi pilgrimages had seen record-breaking numbers.
In response to questions about security in the area, the BJP leader said that terrorism has been contained under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direction and that a “white paper” outlining the names of people convicted of prior acts of terrorism will be released shortly.
In order for the BJP to continue its development initiatives, Amit pleaded for IIOJK voters to grant the party a five-year mandate.
Amit’s visit takes place while Pakistan is keenly watching events in IIOJK, where the political climate is still volatile. The area has served as a hot spot for tensions between the two nuclear neighbors.
The Indian administration celebrated the repeal of Article 370 as a step toward IIOJK’s integration with the nation.
Pakistan is still opposing this move on a global scale and wants the autonomy of IIOJK to be restored.
