12 key things Modi said on SC’s Article 370 verdict

A day after the Supreme Court delivered a historic verdict on the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35(A) in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (December 12) took to his blog to make a post on the judgement that he said has “strengthened the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’”.

Here are 12 key things the Prime Minister said about the decision to repeal the laws that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and what has happened since August 5, 2019, when the move was made:

1. Through its judgment, the Court has upheld the sovereignty and integrity of India.

2. The Supreme Court rightly observed that the decision taken on 5th August 2019 was done with the purpose of enhancing constitutional integration and not disintegration.

3. Articles 370 and 35(A) ensured that the people of Jammu and Kashmir never got the rights and development that the rest of their fellow Indians got. Due to these Articles, a distance was created between people belonging to the same nation.

4. …while serving the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we gave primacy to three pillars — understanding of the citizens’ concerns, building trust through supportive actions, and prioritising development, development and more development.

5. In September 2014, I went to Srinagar... I had the opportunity to meet people from different walks of life and there was one common thread in these interactions — the people not only wanted development but they also wanted freedom from the rampant corruption prevailing for decades.

6. In order to further strengthen Jammu and Kashmir’s development journey, we decided that our Government ministers would frequently go there and interact with people directly. These frequent visits also played a crucial role in building goodwill in Jammu and Kashmir.

7. We harnessed the power of sports in Jammu and Kashmir, recognising its potential to ignite the dreams of the youth… The name of the talented footballer Afshan Ashiq comes to my mind — in December 2014 she was a part of a stone pelting group in Srinagar but with the right encouragement she turned to football...

8. The Panchayat polls were also a watershed moment in the region’s quest for all-round development… The success of panchayat polls indicated the democratic nature of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

9. The judicial court verdict came in December 2023 but seeing the wave of development across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, the people’s court have given a resounding thumbs up to the Parliament’s decision of abolishing Articles 370 and 35(A) for four years now.

10. The women, tribals, SC, ST and marginalised sections of society were not getting their due. At the same time, the aspirations of Ladakh were totally ignored. 5th August 2019 changed all that. All Central laws now apply without fear or favour. Representation has also got more widespread...

11. Key Central Government scheme have attained saturation levels, thus covering all sections of society. These include Saubhagya, Ujwala and Ujjwala schemes. Strides have been made in housing, tap water connection and financial inclusion. Healthcare, otherwise a major challenge for the people has witnessed an upgradation of infrastructure.

12. In its verdict on 11th December, the Supreme Court has strengthened the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ — it has reminded us that what defines us is the bonds of unity and a shared commitment to good governance.