'Bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir does not violate any border or LoC'

Security personnel stands guard during restrictions, in Srinagar. Pic/PTI

The decision to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories and to scrap Article 370 it does not violate any border or international line of control, the Indian Ambassador to US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Monday.

"It is important to distinguish between truth and distortion and what you have heard is a great deal of the latter," affirmed Shringla in an interview to Fox News. "India has reorganised the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories with legislative assembly and council. It does not in any way impinge the border of Jammu and Kashmir and international line of control and is, therefore, an internal matter of the country" the envoy said.

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Shringla further mentioned that the government has taken the decision to do away with provisional Article 370 because it was "hankering" with the growth in the erstwhile state."We have taken this decision because we have found that over 70 years the development in the state has been hankered by the so-called special status that the state enjoyed. It is a temporary provision under the constitution and now the intention is to ensure the good governance and socio-economic justice reaches the state," he assured.

The Centre had passed the resolution of Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, last week and the law reorganising the state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir with a legislature and Ladakh without it.

Also Read: Kathua: Youths welcome abrogation of Article 370, hoist national flag outside college

When asked about present restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir, Shringla called the measures taken as "temporary and preventive." He was quoted by ANI saying, "These measures were temporary and preventive in nature we know the possibilities of the cross border of infiltration and terrorism and we know there would be incitement of violence. We have taken preventive steps."

Talking about US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate in the Kashmir issue, Shringla said that the government rejected Trump offer as Kashmir is a bilateral issue and New Delhi and Islamabad must solve it jointly.

With inputs from PTI, ANI

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