New Delhi:
In a historic move, the state flag of Jammu and Kashmir has been removed from the Civil Secretariat building in Srinagar on Sunday, nearly a month after the Centre revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, stripping the special status to the state. From today onwards, only the national flag will be seen atop all government offices across Jammu and Kashmir.
However, some of the government buildings are yet to take off the state flag of Jammu and Kashmir, but will remove the same anytime soon. Till Saturday, both the state flag and national tricolour were seen atop all the government offices, including the Civil Secretariat building.
Speaking to India Today, a source close to the Jammu and Kashmir government said, "The removal of flag is in continuation of abrogation of Article 370 and not dependant on official bifurcation from October 31".
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"Access by Parliament is already given (on abrogation) and the national flag is expected to take precedence at all government offices," another top source from the administration told the leading news channel.
Under special status granted to the region by Article 370 of the Constitution, Jammu and Kashmir had been permitted to fly its own state flag in addition to the national flag of India.
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The people in the region, unlike other parts of the country, had also been enjoying dual citizenship - one of the state and the other of India. While citizens of Jammu and Kashmir were considered to be the citizens of India as well, people in other parts of the country were not allowed to take citizenship of Jammu and Kashmir.
However, all these year-old norms in the state were nullified on August 5, with the Centre announcing abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and bifurcating the state into two Union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
