President Ram Nath Kovind declares abrogation of provisions of Article 370

After both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha passed the resolution for scrapping Article 370, President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday declared abrogation of the provisions of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. According to the official notification from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, "In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of Article 370 read with clause (1) of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, the President, on the recommendation of Parliament, is pleased to declare that, as from the 6th August, 2019, all clauses of the said Article 370 shall cease to be operative...."

The President’s nod will now allow the Centre to formulate any policy regarding Jammu and Kashmir. The official notification caps the days of rumours, anxiety and shrill debates over the Article 370. In an unprecedented move that is likely to spark unrest in the Valley, the Narendra Modi government on Monday scrapped part of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also moved a resolution in the Lok Sabha for bringing a bill to reorganise the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh amid a walkout by opposition parties.

On Tuesday, the resolution scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir was passed in the Lok Sabha by division of votes with 351 members in support and 72 against it. One member abstained from voting. The House also cleared the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, by 370 "AYES" and 70 "NO" on Tuesday. The J-K Reorganisation Bill seeks to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Parliament also approved another bill to extend 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The notification also made it clear that all the provisions of the Constitution as amended from time to time, shall apply in relation to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the exceptions and modifications subject to which they shall so apply.

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