NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed his government’s contentious 2019 decision to revoke the partial autonomy of held Jammu and Kashmir by changing the constitution, after the territory’s newly elected lawmakers renewed call for restoration of its special status.

“Only the constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar will operate in Kashmir... No power in the world can restore Article 370 (partial autonomy) in Kashmir,” Modi said, referring to one of the founding fathers of the Indian constitution.

He was speaking at a state election rally in Maharashtra, where Ambedkar was from.

The disputed region, where Kashmiris have fought Indian security forces for decades, is a Muslim-majority area.

However, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party government revoked partial autonomy of held Kashmir in 2019 and split the internationally recognized disputed state into the two federally administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

While the held Jammu and Kashmir recently conducted its first local election in a decade, the newly-elected lawmakers passed a resolution this week seeking immediate restoration of the status.

Under the system of partial autonomy, India-held Kashmir had its own constitution and the freedom to make laws on all issues, except foreign affairs and defence.

However, after the controversial amendment to the Indian constitution, new lawmakers of held Jammu and Kashmir cannot legislate on matters regarding public order and policing.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2024