"Scrapping Of Article 370 A Historic Moment": J&K Lt Governor To NDTV

"It was a clear message sent to people of Jammu and Kashmir" that raising questions on "unity and integrity of India won't be tolerated," Manoj Sinha said

Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, has told NDTV that the scrapping of special status of the erstwhile state and moving it to mainstream has brought about a host of positive changes over the last four years. As such, August 5, 2019, when these changes were announced in parliament by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is a "historic day".

"It was a clear message sent to people of Jammu and Kashmir" that raising questions on "unity and integrity of India won't be tolerated," he said during a conversation with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia as part of a special series to mark the 76th Independence Day.

What happened since was a "transformational journey" and brought about a change in discourse, said the former Lok Sabha MP and BJP national council member, who took charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2020.   Today, Jammu and Kashmir's connectivity has improved -- inside and out. "Rail and road connectivity are being enhanced.. air connectivity to Jammu has improved... the Union Territory has ranked third in PM Gram Sadak Yojana, with six to 20 km of road being built daily... Power was a big issue but in 3.5 years, electricity production will be doubled," he said.