Kashmir status withdrawn to protect nation's integrity: Gowda

The BJP's prime objective of protecting the integrity of the nation and it's development agenda led to the decision for the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, according to Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda. He said the party had long back started the process to annul both the Articles, which offered special status to J&K.

The minister said that once normality is restored in Kashmir, the Union government would focus on the development of the region. "Since the abrogation of Article 370, not a single shot has been fired in Kashmir.

The special status accorded to Kashmir earlier had made it a haven for terrorists," the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers said. He was addressing a public awareness program on Article 370, organized by the Udupi district unit of BJP at Manipal on Saturday.

Gowda said even Congress leaders, including Karan Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia, had appreciated the Centre's decision on Kashmir. To a question from a participant on when the union government would implement the Uniform Civil Code in the country, he said the BJP manifesto had clearly mentioned that it wanted the UCC.

The government too desired it, he said.