President Ram Nath Kovind expressed confidence that scrapping provisions of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu & Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories will be of “immense benefit” to people of those regions.
Delivering his address to the nation on the eve of Independence, Kovind also said the recent changes made in Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh will enable the people to access and enjoy the same rights, same privileges and same facilities as their fellow citizens in the rest of the country.
...I am confident that the recent changes made in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh would be of immense benefit to those regions. They will enable the people to access and enjoy the same rights, same privileges and same facilities as their fellow citizens in the rest of the country.Ram Nath Kovind, President of India
The Modi government announced on Aug. 5 the removal of some provisions of Article 370 to take away Jammu & Kashmir's special status and proposed bifurcation of the state into two Union territories—Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh— a far-reaching decision that seeks to redraw the map and future of a region at the centre of protracted militancy.
The measures later secured Parliament's approval. The two UTs will come into existence on Oct. 31.