Stripping J-K of special status sound in law, says Amit Shah at R&AW lecture

Ami Shah said the government had studied the legal position in detail before stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and it is unlikely to face any serious legal challenge.

The Centre’s decision to scrap Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir was unlikely to face any serious legal challenge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Tuesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said normalcy would return to Kashmir sooner than later.(PTI)

Delivering the 13th Kao Memorial lecture at the headquarters of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) – India’s external intelligence agency – in the capital, Shah’s address to the sleuths focused on Jammu and Kashmir and the New Delhi’s efforts to bring back normalcy to the state as he underlined that the Centre will reach out to the people of the newly created union territory.

The BJP government at the Centre stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and split the state into two Union Territories on August 5. The Kao Memorial lecture commemorates the agency’s first chief and one of India’s original spymasters Ram Nath Kao.

In his address, the Home Minister underlined removal of Article 370 would lead to fast-paced development and benefit the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Normalcy would return the valley sooner than later. The government had studied the legal position in detail before stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status. The move is unlikely to face any serious legal challenge,” he said.

The Home Minister also underlined the government’s view that J&K’s special status had contributed to corruption, separatism and terrorism. Shah said the move would help J&K integrate into mainstream and rejuvenate the economy of the state.

For the first time, the R&AW invited foreign delegates to the lecture. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who was in Jammu and Kashmir for about 10 days to monitor the situation, was also present.

A range of restrictions including prohibitory orders imposed ahead of the Centre scrapping Article 370 remains in force in Jammu and Kashmir.