Repeal of Art 370 not communal, was need of the hour: VP Naidu

Terming the abrogation of Article 370 the need of the hour for the unity and integrity of the nation, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday said that the move is not "communal" but is a matter of the country's security.

"The scrapping of Article 370 was the need of the hour for the unity and integrity of the country. Article 370 was only a temporary provision. We will not allow anyone to interfere in the internal affairs of India," a tweet on the Vice President's official Twitter account read.

The Hindi tweets were quoting Naidu's speech at the first Balramji Dass Tandon Memorial Lecture, at Panjab University, in Chandigarh.

He said that the whole country is happy with the repeal of Article 370. "It is a matter of unity, integrity, and security of the country. The matter is not communal... Some sections of Western media are spreading misleading propaganda on Section 370," the Vice President said.

He continued, "On the occasion of the Independence Day, we should take a resolution to free the country and society from social disorders like caste, gender discrimination, poverty, illiteracy with our common efforts."

Naidu said that former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had termed Article 370 as a "temporary provision" and asserted that it is not a permanent part of the Constitution.

"On 27 November 1963, while replying on the issue of repealing Section 370, then Prime Minister Pandit Nehru himself said that Article 370 is just a temporary provision. It is not a permanent part of the Constitution," the Vice President said.

The government had withdrawn special status to Jammu and Kashmir and passed the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganization) Act 2019, reorganizing it into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir with legislature and Ladakh without it.