'Won’t touch Article 371’, Amit Shah, during Assam visit, reassures North East Council over special status law

Guwahati: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that the Centre will not touch Article 371 which grants special provisions to the North East. Article 370 was “clearly” temporary in nature but Article 371 is about special provisions in the North East and there is a “vast difference” between the two, Shah said while addressing the 68th plenary session of the North East Council in Assam.

“After the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, there were attempts to misinform and misguide the people of North East that Article 371 would also be scrapped by the Centre”, he said. “I have clarified in Parliament that this is not going to happen and I am saying it again today in the presence of eight chief ministers of North East that the Centre will not touch Article 371”, Shah added.