We did not prolong decision on Article 370, says PM Modi from Red Fort

"We do not believe in creating problems or prolonging them. In less than 70 days of the new Government, the Article 370 has become history.....both the Houses of Parliament with 2/3rd of the members supported this step," Prime Minister said in his customary Independence Day speech.

Claiming that his government has brought tectonic shift in people's thought process, Mr Modi said - "Five years ago, people always thought- whether Change is possible, can this country Change- but now the people say - Yes, My country can Change".

"Jo kaam sattar saal mein nahi hua (What did not happen in 70 years has been done in less than 70 days)," he said. "Aapne jo kaam diya, mein usi ko karne ke liye aya hoo (I am here to do my job according to the wishes of the people)," Prime Minister said.

Revocation of Article 370 has been one of the major electoral promises of the BJP since the time of Jan Sangh.

He said the old arrangements in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh "encouraged corruption, nepotism" - but at the same when it came to rights of women, children, Dalits, tribal communities there was 'injustice'.

"Even the dreams of sanitation workers were incomplete. How can we accept such a situation," he said.

"The way the Jammu and Kashmir Re-organisation Bill was passed with two third majority of the both Houses of the Parliament showed that everybody wanted to get it abrogated but all were waiting who would do it", Prime Minister said.

He also said that previous governments had thought of this problem and but when we found that nothing had changed, "we re-evaluated this issue and decided to do away with".

"This is our responsibility to fulfill the aspiration of the the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and almost all political parties has supported us on J&K, some of them supported openly and some silently".

"We want that the women , the dalit and tribals of the Jammu and Kashmir get the same rights as they are getting in the rest of the country", Mr Modi said.

He also said - "We have to restore the old glory of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and the new arrangements made for the state, is just to provide those rights to the people of the Jammu and Kashmir".

Hitting out at the Congress party and others who are opposed to the Government's decision on J&K, Mr Modi quipped that if the Article 370 and 35 A was so important then why it was made temporary in the Constitution? Why these provisions were not made permanent provision?

"It means that they wanted it as temporary for their political need," he said.

"After all, those people had large mandate and could have removed the temporary status of Article 370," Prime Minister said.

He said that with the new arrangements now, a common man of the Jammu and Kashmir can ask to the Centre directly for his need and welfare.