PM Modi on J&K: 'People of Jammu and Kashmir were deprived of laws which benefited everyone else, this will change' after Article 370's abrogation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made his first address to the nation following the momentous move by his government earlier in the week to scrap Section 370 pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir thereby integrating the state with India like never before, and also its bifurcation into two Union Territories - J&K and Ladakh.

During the address, he spoke about how people of Jammu and Kashmir were deprived of the benefits of the laws that the rest of the country enjoyed, even remarking that previous governments whom he accused of creating loot laws, couldn't implement those in the state.

"More than 1.5 crore population of Jammu and Kashmir were deprived of the laws which benefited everybody," he said. 

Talking about how the previous government failed to implement the laws 

"The previous government made laws that used to loot us," he said, taking on the earlier UPA dispensation, "but still, they couldn't claim that the laws made by them would be applicable in Jammu and Kashmir also. More than 1.5 crore population of Jammu and Kashmir were deprived of the laws which benefited everybody," he said. 

He referenced numerous laws which were in place in other states but were not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir before the abolition of Article 370.

READ | PM Modi Tears Into Articles 370 And 35A, Says "the State Was Least Benefited, It Worked Only For Pakistan And Its Agents

 "In other states, children have got the right to education but the children of J&K were deprived. The rights daughters of the other states used to get, but the same was not the case for the daughters of J&K."

"Safai Karamchari Act was practiced in other states, but it was not there in Jammu and Kashmir."

"To stop the violence against Dalits the country has strong laws, but it was not applicable in J&K. There is a minority act in every other state but J&K didn't have it. While the minimum wages act was is there in the rest of the country, the daily labourers of J&K had it only on paper. There was an SC-ST protection act in the rest of the country which was not applicable in J&K." the Prime Minister stated. 

However, following the abolition of Article 370 and 35 A, PM Modi said that he believes Jammu and Kashmir will soon recover.

READ | PM Narendra Modi Jubilant As BJP Sweeps Tripura Panchayat Polls, Here's His Post

J&K'S Article 370 scrapped

It was Home Minister Amit Shah who had moved the two bills and two resolutions that had the effect of mainstreaming of all the residents of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. They were cleared by both houses of Parliament with a clear majority, with a number of Opposition parties also backing the bill, including the TDP and AAP, plus the YSRCP. The Prime Minister was in the Lok Sabha when Shah replied to the Opposition. He was given a rousing desk-thumping welcome when he took his seat.