Discussions on restoration of Article 370 are irrelevant: Lieutenant Governor

Ghazipur, Nov 19: J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday that discussions on restoring Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir are irrelevant as the Supreme Court has upheld its abrogation as constitutional.

He spoke about the scenario in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370. He said that after the abrogation of Article 370 assembly elections were held, which were peaceful and were observed by national and international communities.

“A democratic government has taken oath there and I am confident it will work towards overall development of J&K,” he said.

He said that after the Supreme Court upheld this abrogation as constitutional, any discussions on restoring the provision are irrelevant.

He also spoke about the progress made by the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi the nation has made tremendous development, particularly in the railway sector. This has created jobs for the youth and improved transportation facilities, contributing significantly to the country’s growth,” he claimed.

He also inaugurated a new officers' rest house and community centre built by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).

“During his visits, the Prime Minister had no suitable place to rest in this region if needed. Today, RVNL has fulfilled that need by building these facilities,” he said.

Sharing a personal anecdote from his tenure as Minister of State for Railways, he said: “A journalist from Bengaluru once visited and required a restroom. She was directed to a toilet outside the Women’s Degree College in Ghazipur. Later, she wrote that such clean toilets were not even available in Bengaluru. RVNL has constructed similarly excellent facilities here”.

He also addressed the progress of the Mau-Ghazipur railway line project, which had been temporarily halted but is now back on track.

“Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw has allocated funds for this project in the budget. However, legal disputes filed by landowners often delay railway projects”, he said.