Congress leader Salman Khurshid praises Article 370 abrogation

Congress leader Salman Khurshid has said that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 2019 ended the long-standing problem of separatism in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in "prosperity" in the region. Speaking to members of Indonesian think tanks and academia as part of an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation, Khurshid on Thurssday said, "Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave the impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end." Article 370 of the Constitution accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir until it was revoked by the BJP-led government in August 2019.Calling the sense of a "separate" identity a "major problem", Khurshid further highlighted the positive outcomes since the abrogation, including 65 per cent voter participation in subsequent elections, which led to the establishment of an elected government in Kashmir. He argued against any attempts to reverse these developments, pointing to the "prosperity" that has emerged in the region.

#WATCH | Jakarta, Indonesia | "Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave an impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article… pic.twitter.com/wXcdkfWPlR

— ANI (@ANI) May 29, 2025

Khurshid, a former External Affairs Minister, is part of an all-party delegation led by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, which is visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore to brief the countries on Operation Sindoor and India’s position on regional security dynamics.
The Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kashmir government, in which the Congress is an ally, introduced a resolution in the Assembly to restore Article 370 shortly after taking office in September last year. The BJP strongly opposed the move, asserting that Article 370 would not be reinstated.In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the central government's decision to revoke Article 370. While the Congress accepted the judgment from a legal standpoint, it maintained a critical tone regarding the manner of implementation.