Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the government has decided to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution that grants special status to Jammu & Kashmir.
The government has also decided to separate the state into two Union territories – Ladakh and Kashmir; the latter will not have a legislature.
The announcement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a cabinet meeting at his house this morning.
Here is a look at Article 370 and Article 35 A:
Article 370 gives J&K its own constitution and decision-making rights for all matters except defence, communications and foreign affairs. The removal of this part of the constitution ends special status for Kashmir.
Article 35A empowers the state legislature to define the state’s “permanent residents” and their special rights and privileges.
