Jakarta, Indonesia: Senior Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday endorsed the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, stating the move has ushered in prosperity, stability, and democratic progress in the region.
Speaking to Indonesian policy experts and scholars during a diplomatic outreach mission, Khurshid explained that the special constitutional status previously granted to Jammu and Kashmir created a perception of separateness from the rest of India a sentiment he said was detrimental to national unity.
“Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave an impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end,” Khurshid stated.
Khurshid is part of a multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, currently on a tour of Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. The group aims to engage with international policymakers and provide insight into India’s regional security policies, including the recently launched Operation Sindoor.
He pointed to measurable democratic gains post-abrogation, highlighting a 65% voter turnout in recent elections and the formation of an elected government in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“There was an election with 65 percent participation. There’s an elected government in Kashmir today,” he said, adding that reversing this political and economic progress would be *“inadvisable.”
Khurshid’s comments represent a significant stance within the Congress party, which had previously opposed the scrapping of Article 370. His remarks are likely to spark political discussion domestically, while sending a clear message internationally about India’s evolving approach in Jammu and Kashmir.