'Jammu and Kashmir won't be Union Territory forever': Amit Shah says region to get statehood once situation returns to normal

New Delhi: Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah on Monday reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir would not remain a Union territory forever and it will get back its statehood status once there is a favorable situation for that. [caption id=“attachment_7070081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Amit Shah. ANI[/caption] “Jammu and Kashmir would not remain a Union Territory forever and that the statehood would be returned once the situation is normalised,” Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in an official statement quoting Shah. The home minister also said that the notion that only Article 370 protected the Kashmiri culture and identity was the wrong one. He asserted that all regional identities are inherently protected by the Indian constitution and called the misuse of Article 370 the root cause of cross-border terrorism. Shah made these remarks while speaking at a function where he met and interacted with the probationers of the 2018 batch of the Indian Police Service (IPS). The Home Minister touched all aspects and issues including the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Abrogation of Article 370, etc. While interacting with the officers, Shah also discussed the NRC. Speaking on the need for a National Register of Citizens, he asserted that NRC was essential not just for national security but for good governance as well. He remarked that the NRC must not be seen as a political exercise, as it is very important to have a national citizen register in order to ensure that the benefits of development reach all our citizens. He also asked the young probationers to focus on honest performance and added that image is made by not one incident but continuous performance and delivery. “Maintenance of law and order is very important to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a $5 trillion economy,” Shah said.