PM Modi to address nation on scrapping Article 370 at 8 pm

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the nation at 8 pm on Thursday on the central government's decision of scrapping Article 370 and splitting the state into two Union Territories

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation at 8 pm on Thursday reportedly on the central government's decision of scrapping Article 370 and splitting the state into two Union Territories

According to Prime Minister's Office's Twitter handle, PM Modi would explain the government's historic step of the abrogation of Article 370, which earlier gave special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir in a special broadcast to be aired on All India Radio.

President Kovind on Wednesday signed the abrogation of Article 370 which accorded a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, after a resolution regarding the same was passed in both houses of the Parliament earlier this week. 

The Centre also passed the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill 2019 which bifurcated the state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (with a legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature). The bill was cleared amid vocal opposition from various political parties, with 125 members voted in its favour and 61 voted against it.

PM Modi's expected address comes days ahead of his customary address to the nation on the occasion of Independence Day.

On Wednesday, Pakistan announced that it will downgrade the diplomatic relations and suspend bilateral trade with India, after the Narendra Modi government scrapped Article 370, Article 35A and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir. 

The Pakistan government expelled Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, as part of their downgrading process. The process entails that all the staff would be pulled back. The diplomatic relations have previously been downgraded in 1999 and 2002. 

On the matter of revocation of Article 370, India has maintained that it was an internal matter of the country.