Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that a new era dawned in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, when the special status of the former State under Article 370 of the Constitution was removed by Parliament.
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Mr. Shah virtually unveiled the statue of 11th century Vaishnavite saint Sri Ramanajucharya at the Sun Temple in Srinagar’s Sonawar. The statue weighs 600 kg and is four feet high. The saint has a wide following not only in south India but among many sects in West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam and Maharashtra. In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated a 216 feet tall statue of Sri Ramanujacharya at Muchintal in Telangana.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shah said that the Union Territory administration of J&K under Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha has established a decisive domination over terrorism under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
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Mr. Shah said the administration headed by Mr. Sinha has also delivered peace and development to the people of Kashmir without any discrimination.
“For a long time, the nation had a hope that Jammu and Kashmir will be irreversibly integrated with the nation by removal of Article 370 and Article 35A, and that hope was fulfilled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On 5 August 2019, a new era was established in Kashmir,” he said.
He added that the unveiling of the “Statue of Peace” in Srinagar is a good sign for the people of India, especially the people of J&K.
“The statue will bring a message of peace and prosperity to people of all faiths in J&K and will steer it on the path of development,” Mr. Shah said.