Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah on Augist16 asserted that the scrapping of 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, reports Daily Excelsior. Shah said the revocation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution would help in developing Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. “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.
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on August 16 returned to Delhi after spending 11 days in Kashmir valley to ensure smooth implementation of plans after the withdrawal of special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. Doval, who came to Jammu and Kashmir on August 6, took charge of security and development-related activities with a special focus on ensuring that there was no loss of life, official said. During his stay, the NSA took a round of Shopian, a district worst hit by terrorism, and met locals and security personnel.