Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid praised the removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. He said the region had witnessed real development since that move. He spoke during a visit to Indonesia as part of an all-party outreach delegation.

Addressing Concerns About Kashmir

On Thursday, Khurshid addressed Indonesian think tanks and academic leaders. He directly countered Pakistan’s false claims about unrest in Jammu and Kashmir. He also highlighted the Indian government’s bold decision in August 2019 to scrap Article 370, which had granted special status to the former state.

"Article 370 Was a Major Problem"

Khurshid called the special status a serious issue. “Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called Article 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave the impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated, and it was finally put to an end,” he said during his address.

High Voter Turnout in Kashmir

Khurshid also pointed out that Kashmir now has an elected government. Over 60% of the people voted in the recent elections. “Subsequently, there was an election with 65 per cent participation in the election. There’s an elected government in Kashmir today, and therefore, for people to want to undo everything that has happened, the prosperity that has come to Kashmir,”
he added.

“Don’t Compare India With Pakistan”

The Congress leader delivered another clear message on Friday. He strongly opposed comparing India to Pakistan. “We are asked, why did we stop?… We are not Pakistan; we are much larger than they are. We have a greater role in the world… We got respect not only for our strengths but also for showing confidence in our strengths. We had to do certain things to teach Pakistan a lesson, and then we stopped because we are not greedy for Pakistan, their territory, or to destroy them,”
he told the Indian community in Indonesia.

India Believes in Peace and Leadership

Khurshid emphasized India’s peaceful intentions. He said India only wants to protect itself and lead the world. “We only want to preserve and protect ourselves… We want to lead the world. And in that leadership role, we cannot reduce ourselves to the size and stature of Pakistan… We don’t want a hyphen between India and Pakistan… Talk to us separately… The beauty of our plural culture, the beauty of how we live together and celebrate life together, is something that we want to show… We are patriots. We believe in humanity. We believe in our country because our country is our mother.”

India Did Not Start Dialogue

Khurshid made it clear that India did not initiate the ceasefire talks. Instead, Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) contacted India during ‘Operation Sindoor’ to stop hostilities. Since then, India has avoided further military actions.