Shia cleric supports abolishing of Article 370

He appealed to the people of the Jammu and Kashmir not to be misled by the propaganda of the secessionist organizations in the valley and the cross border sponsored terrorists.

"The abrogation of Article 370 will do no harm to the Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. The people living in other states where there is no article 370 are enjoying fundamental rights and they are leading peaceful life," said Maulana Jawwad here on Monday.

"We are also pained if the people of Jammu and Kashmir face problem. That does not mean the people of the border state to support the secessionist’s organization and still expect support for their cause from the people of rest of India," he said.

Urging the people of Jammu and Kashmir to maintain peace Maulana Jawwad said: "After the abrogation of the article of the 370, the status of the Jammu and Kashmir will be like other states and Union territories and instead of holding violent demonstration and fighting the security forces the separatists organizations should come to the negotiating table for amicable settlement of their problems."

Maulana Jawwad added: "Negotiated settlement is the only solution of the problem of the people of Jammu and Kashmir."

Accusing the separatist leaders of pursuing double standards, Maulana Jawwad said: "On one hand they demand the cessation of Jammu and Kashmir from India and on the other they want all facilities from the government."

Maulana Jawwad said he will do his best to ensure that the poor people of Jammu and Kashmir get all those facilities which are admissible to the Dalit community in rest of the country.

Indian government takes major decision on Kashmir:

The politically-volatile and terrorism wracked Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, a bone of contention and military disputes for over seven decades between two nuclear armed neighbours of India and Pakistan, will not enjoy any special status anymore, as the ruling BJP-led government scrapped Article 370, in a move to integrate the Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country and bifurcate the state into two.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that the government would scrap Article 370, the constitutional provision that allowed Jammu and Kashmir to make its own laws while massive troops deployment continued in the region where the local political leaders were put under house arrest since midnight.

Article 370 allows Jammu and Kashmir to have its own constitution, flag and right to handle its own laws except on matters that impact national security.

Also the BJP government on Monday announced to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories- Jammu and Kashmir with an assembly and Ladakh without an assembly. Thus Jammu and Kashmir loses its statehood.

The Modi government also scrapped Article 35A, which so far allowed the Jammu and Kashmir state's legislature to define “permanent residents” of the state and also provided special rights and privileges to those permanent residents, through the presidential order.

The Home Minister said the decisions have been taken in view of fulfilling the aspirations of people of Ladakh and the internal security in Jammu and Kashmir.

Image credit: UNI