Mandla: Union Minister of State (MoS) for Steel Faggan Singh Kulaste has said that modification of Article 370 and the reorganisation of Ladakh as a Union Territory was a long-standing demand of the people of the region, which took many years to see the light.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Kulaste said that since Independence, the demand for the modification of provisions in Article 370 was raised throughout the country but the political will was lacking in the past scenarios.
"Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. Ever since Independence objections were raised against the provisions in Article 370 which granted special status to the state. The demand was raised for 70 years," he said.
"The non-state residents of Jammu and Kashmir were not entitled to any benefits mentioned in Article 370," he said.
The Union Minister further went on to claim that provisions in Article 35A of the Indian Constitution, which provides for special rights and privileges to those 'permanent residents,' was used to discriminate a certain community.
Commenting on the restrictions imposed in the valley, six time MP said that steps including deployment of forces, internet shutdown was initiated to maintain law and order situation and said that normalcy will return to the valley.
Mobile internet services were suspended in Jammu on August 5, in view of security concerns in the region. The restrictions on the telecom services were continued in the wake of modification of Article 370.
Kashmir was placed a under a total clampdown on August 5, hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in the Rajya Sabha that the special status for the state had been modified.
Read: Landline, 2G mobile internet services restored as valley limps back to normalcy
