Kashmir lost the status of an autonomous state!

The Dhaka Times Desk With the President's signature, Article 370, which granted special status to Kashmir, was abrogated. Along with that, Kashmir also lost the status of an autonomous state. Amid ongoing tensions in India-held Kashmir, the state's former chief minister Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been arrested. They were arrested after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution giving special status to Kashmir.

Amid ongoing tensions in India-held Kashmir, the state's former chief minister Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been arrested. Meanwhile, with the President's signature, Article 370, which granted special status to Kashmir, was abrogated. Along with that, Kashmir also lost the status of an autonomous state.

According to NDTV and Express Tribune Urdu news, they were arrested on Monday after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution giving special status to Kashmir. These two former chief ministers were kept under house arrest since the previous day. NDTV reported that Mehbooba Mufti was taken to a local government guest house after her arrest from her home in Srinagar.

Then on Monday morning in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, Home Minister and BJP President Amit Shah proposed the repeal of Article 370. President Ram Nath Kovind signed the proposal after Parliament's approval. With the President's signature, Article 370, which granted special status to Kashmir, was abrogated. Along with that, Kashmir also lost the status of an autonomous state.

It is known that Mehbooba Mufti, who served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from April 4, 2016 to June 19, 2018, was kept under house arrest before the law was passed. Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution barred non-Kashmir Indians from owning property and getting employment.

It should be noted that according to Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir had such autonomy that no other state in South Asia got after 1947. Article 370 also gave independence to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir with its own constitution and a separate flag. The Act also guaranteed independence in all other fields except foreign affairs, defense and communications.