The Bharatiya Janata Party has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt said that this decision is a stamp of approval on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee for the development of the region and national sovereignty. Expressing happiness at the decision, Bhatt said that the decision will help fulfill the dreams of the locals and should open the eyes of the opposition.

Expressing his reaction to the decision of the apex court on Monday, the BJP State president said that it has put to rest all the ifs and buts raised on the decision of the Modi government to abrogate Article 360 on August 9, 2019. “This decision will further boost the efforts of the Modi government to fulfill the dreams of the people of Jammu and Ladakh. This should also open the eyes of those who go to the extent of opposing national interest in order to oppose Modi. Ideologically the BJP always considered Articles 360 and 35 A detrimental to the sovereignty of the nation and development of the region. This is the reason why PM Modi abrogated both these Articles after following due parliamentary procedure and opened the way for balanced development in the region. However, the Congress and other opposition elements using social organisations approached the Supreme Court against this move. It is good that the apex court has also clarified that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, that Articles 370 and 35 A were temporary provisions and that their abrogation was a constitutional step,” Bhatt said.

He said that Article 370 prevented implementation of various Central rules due to which the backward and Dalits were deprived of their rights for 60 years. The locals did not benefit from the Right to Education, Right to Information and various other schemes of the government. There has been a 45 per cent reduction in terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 while cross border infiltration dropped by 90 per cent, stone pelting dropped by 97 per cent and organised bandhs dropped down to zero, the BJP State president added.