New Delhi: The Narendra Modi Government was laying the ground for the abrogation of Article 370 from as early as this year even as the Lok Sabha polls were scheduled in April-May.
The US was briefed in February about scrapping the article…
An indication about India’s plan was shared by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval with his US counterpart John Bolton two days after the Pulwama attack, news portal the Print has claimed in a report quoting multiple sources.
It said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had even taken his US counterpart, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo into confidence on the issue. Jaishankar had met Pompeo on the sidelines of the ninth East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bangkok on August 1.
However, the US officials may not have been aware of India’s move to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir, the website said.
As abrogation of Article 370 was a sensitive issue, the Modi government wanted to play it safe, especially with the US and therefore the Trump administration was apprised about the impending development, Print said quoting sources.
External Affairs Ministry briefs key nations after Govt’s historic announcement…
Significantly, no official reaction has come from the US administration so far after India presented and passed a Bill in the Upper House of Parliament on Monday to reorganise the State of J&K.
Within hours of Home Minister Amit Shah placing a resolution in the House, the External Affairs Ministry briefed envoys of the US, the UK, China, France and Russia. It has also briefed envoys of all 15 members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
“These are aimed at providing good governance, promoting social justice and ensuring economic development in Jammu and Kashmir,” the website quoted a source as saying.
Modi to meet Trump on August 24-25 in France…
Modi is slated to meet US President Donald Trump during the G-7 summit on August 24-26 at Biarritz, France. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders after the historic move by India. According to strategic experts, the meeting will be keenly watched since Trump has expressed his desire more than once to act a mediator between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.
