In a statement that diverges sharply from his party’s official line, senior Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 has effectively resolved the long-standing “major problem” of Kashmir’s perceived separateness from the rest of India.
Speaking in Indonesia during a session with regional think tanks and academic leaders, Khurshid remarked, “Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave an impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated and it was finally put to an end."
Khurshid’s comments were delivered during a multi-nation outreach by an all-party Indian delegation led by JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, which includes visits to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, aiming to brief regional partners about India’s Operation Sindoor and the broader national security outlook.
Highlighting the post-2019 developments in Jammu and Kashmir, Khurshid claimed that revoking the region's special status had resulted in tangible democratic and economic gains. He noted a significant voter turnout and the presence of a democratically elected government as indicators of a new era of stability.
"Subsequently, there was an election with 65 per cent participation… There’s an elected government in Kashmir today. Therefore for people to want to undo everything that has happened, the prosperity that has come to Kashmir…," Khurshid said, pausing mid-sentence to underscore the futility of reversing the changes.
However, Khurshid’s remarks mark a stark departure from the Congress party's recent position. In September last year, after forming a coalition government with Omar Abdullah's National Conference in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress supported a resolution demanding the restoration of Article 370.
The BJP responded fiercely to the resolution, stating that, “even if Indira Gandhi were to return from heaven,” Article 370 would not be reinstated.
