In a huge announcement, Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Parliament today that Article 370 – which provides special status to Jammu and Kashmir – stands revoked with immediate effect.
It was further announced that the state will be bifurcated into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir which will have a legislation, Ladakh which will not have a legislation.
The order was passed by President Ram Nath Kovind. Here’s the full text of it.
(1) This Order may be called the Constitution Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019.
(2) It shall come into force at once, and shall thereupon supersede the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954 as amended from time to time.
All the provisions of the Constitution, as amended from time to time, shall apply in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir and the exceptions and modifications subject to which they shall so apply shall be as follows: To article 367, there shall be added the following clause, namely:”(4) For the purposes of this Constitution as it applies in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir
(a) references to this Constitution or to the provisions thereof shall be construed as references to the Constitution or the provisions thereof as applied in relation to the said State:
(b) references to the person for the time being recognized by the President on the recommendation of the Legislative Assembly of the State as the Sadar-i-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir, acting on the advice of the Council of Ministers of the State for the time being in office, shall be construed as references to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir:
(c) references to the Government of the said State shall be construed as including references to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir acting on the advice of his Council of Ministers, and
(d) in the proviso to clause (3) of Article 370 of this Constitution, the expression “Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2)” shall read “Legislative Assembly of the State”.”
RAM NATH KOVIND,