Shah says scrapping special status of J-K big milestone, slams Congress for not doing it

Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Friday that scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is a "big milestone for the unity and integrity of the country and will ensure development of the state.

Shah also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on Independence Day on creating the post of Chief of Defence Staff will strengthen the country's defence manifold.

The creation of the post, recommended after the 1999 Kargil War, is aimed at having a better synergy among the three services, and between the government and the military. The CDS acts as a single-point military adviser to the prime minister on key defence and strategic issues.

Addressing a public rally in Jind, known as the heartland of the Jat community, ahead of Haryana polls, the BJP president said the revocation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution would help develop Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, and make the region free of terrorism.

Saying that the Modi government scrapped the special status of J&K in 75 days of coming to power in its second term, he slammed the previous Congress-led governments for not doing it in their 72 years of rule because of "vote-bank greed".

"Abrogation of Article 370 and 35A is a big milestone for the unity and integrity of India. We had been saying that Kashmir was an integral part of India, but Article 370 was giving some sort of message that something is still incomplete," he said.

"From Jind rally, I want to tell the country that after removal of Article 370, whatever stumbling block in the development and progress of Jammu and Kashmir, Leh and Ladakh was there, has now been removed."