Srinagar, Aug 05 (KNO): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35(A) ushered in a new era of peace, progress and equal opportunity for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
In a post on X, Modi, on the seventh anniversary of the Article 370 abrogation, said the scrapping of the special constitutional provisions on August 5, 2019, marked "a decisive new chapter" in the journey of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"Since then, the lives of the people of J&K and Ladakh have witnessed wide-ranging transformation. Infrastructure has expanded, opportunities in areas such as education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and sports have grown," the Prime Minister said.
As reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the PM said women and marginalised communities, who had been denied their constitutional rights for decades, had been empowered through the full application of the Constitution of India.
Modi said this year's anniversary assumes added significance as the country is commemorating the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
"His lifelong commitment to national unity continues to inspire generations. What he envisioned decades ago found historic fulfilment on 5th August 2019," he said.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to the progress of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and to ensuring that every citizen has the opportunity to "dream big, achieve and contribute to the making of a Viksit Bharat".
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the seventh anniversary of the abrogation, saying the move had heralded "a new era of peace, progress and equal opportunity" in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"As we also commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, we salute his unwavering commitment to India's unity, a vision that found historic fulfilment on 5th August 2019," Singh said in a post on X.
He said India remained committed to building "a prosperous Jammu and Kashmir, a thriving Ladakh and a Viksit Bharat".
The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its special status under Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and bifurcated into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh—(KNO)