J&K's Article 370 to go: LK Advani says integration move in line with BJP's core ideology, issues statement

Former Deputy Prime Minister of India Lal Krishna Advani expressed happiness after Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the proposal to scrap Article 370 for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, thereby paving way for its complete integration with India, and also, on the move to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories - J&K and Ladakh, with the former having a legislature and the latter not having one. 

LK Advani hails Government's initiative

The senior BJP leader said that he was happy with the government's decision to revoke Article 370 and said that it was a great step taken towards strengthening national integration. He said that revoking of Article 370 was always present in the core ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party since the days of the Jan Sangh. The veteran leader congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the historic initiative and prayed for the peace of the people in Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Here's the statement issued by LK Advani:

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What is Article 35 A?

Incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential order, Article 35 A defines the permanent residents of the state of Jammu and Kashmir by giving special rights and privileges to the state subjects. It stems from Article 370 that gives autonomous right to Jammu and Kashmir. The article is also referred to as Permanent Residents Law and bars woman belonging to the state from any property rights if she marries a person from outside the state. Even the children of such women do not get the right as they do not have any succession rights over the property.

What is Article 370?

​It exempts Jammu and Kashmir from following the Indian Constitution except for Article 1 and itself. It also restricts Parliament's legislative powers in Jammu and Kashmir. It was passed in the Constituent Assembly on May 27, 1949 and is the first article of Part XXI of the Indian Constitution. The heading of this part is ‘Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions’. Abrogating Article 370 has the effect of also doing away with Article 35A.

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