Article 370 scrapped: Jammu celebrates despite restrictions

Notwithstanding restrictions on movement of people, there were celebrations in parts of Jammu as the government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution that granted special status to the state.

People danced to drumbeats and distributed sweets as they hailed the Centre's move as a "bold", "historic" and "monumental" decision towards delivery of justice to the region, which has always complained of being discriminated against by the political setup.

Late Sunday night, the Jammu and Kashmir government imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) -- that bars assembly of five or more people in an area -- in the state and also downed communication channels.

Despite the prohibitory orders, residents of the Bohri, Muthi, New Plot and Trikuta Nagar area came out of their homes, albeit in smaller groups, to express their happiness with beating of drums, dancing and exchanging sweets.

They raised slogans hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

"I am overwhelmed, emotional, jubilant,," said Ankush Veshin, an entrepreneur, who runs a diagnostic centre in Talab Tilloo area here. "Hearing the announcement (by Shah in Rajya Sabha) gave me goosebumps. For the first time, I felt being a part of India."
State BJP president Ravinder Raina termed the decision historic. "PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have created history. The historic decision is in the interest of the nation. Modi understood the pain of the people of Jammu."