As August 5 assumes significance, on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, the top security brass closeted with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital today. The meeting is stated to have discussed the security situation in the country.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka met the Home Minister in his chamber at the Parliament House complex on Monday, sources said.On August 5, 2019, the Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and also bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The sixth anniversary of the landmark event comes amidst a growing chorus for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shah had promised that the statehood would be restored once the situation in the UT becomes normal, without giving a timeline.
On July 20, in an interview, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah made a forceful plea for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without further delay, and indicated that all avenues, including legal options, were being explored by the ruling National Conference in this regard.
Nearly ten months after the National Conference swept to power in the Union territory, Abdullah asserted that statehood was a fundamental right of the people."The Centre had promised it in Parliament and before the Supreme Court," he said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had jointly written to Prime Minister Modi, urging the BJP-led central government to bring a legislation in the Monsoon session of Parliament to grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
On Monday, CPI leader D Raja also made a similar demand in a letter to PM Modi.
In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is scheduled to hand over appointment letters for government jobs to the next of kin of terror victims at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre on Tuesday.This is the third such event being held in Kashmir over the past one month, with the first two events having been held at Anantnag and Baramulla districts.
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