Indian-occupied Kashmir was stripped of its autonomy to free it from “terrorism and separatism”, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.
In his first comments on the constitutional bombshell carried out while Kashmir was under a military lockdown, Modi insisted that his government had made a “historic decision”. He did not bring up the crippling clampdown in the region.
The Hindu nationalist BJP government rushed through a presidential decree on Monday to ditch the Muslim-majority region’s constitutionally-guaranteed status. The Indian parliament also passed a law splitting the state into two territories.
The move was opposed by some of the opposition and has been questioned by Indian journalists and international organisations.
Internet and telephone connections in Kashmir have been cut since Monday and a curfew imposed as the authorities feared trouble when the decision was announced. The move was slammed by Pakistan, with the government deciding to expel India’s ambassador and suspend all bilateral trade. The parliament also passed a resolution condemning New Delhi’s actions while Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed the fear of India committing genocide and ethnic cleansing in occupied Kashmir. In response to the move, Islamabad on Wednesday expelled India’s ambassador and suspended all bilateral trade.
Modi in his speech alleged that Pakistan encouraged “terrorism and separatism” in occupied Kashmir. “Friends, I have full belief that we will be able to free Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism and separatism under this system,” he said.
“I have full faith that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, after defeating separatism, will move forward with new hopes and aspirations.”
