'Revocation of Art-370 'bold step' towards strengthening national integration: Advani

BJP veteran L K Advani on Monday termed as "historic" the Union government's move to scrap Article 370 and said it is a "bold step towards strengthening national integration". Advani, the longest-serving BJP president, said the scrapping of Article 370 has been a part of the BJP's core ideology since the days of Jan Sangh.

"I congratulate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shri Amit Shah for this historic initiative and pray for peace, prosperity, and progress in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," he said in a statement. He said he is happy with the government's decision to revoke Article 370 and believes that it is a bold step towards "strengthening national integration".

Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Rajya Sabha that Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special rights, has been scrapped with the President's assent and also moved a bill to divide the state into two Union territories.