Jammu and Kashmir:

Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha on Saturday said that there has been a “change in people’s thinking” in the Union Territory and people “want peace and tranquillity”.

He also said that “development can happen when there is peace in a region”.

Speaking at an event, he said, “The situation here has changed a lot due to the cooperation of people. There is a change in people’s thinking as well and they want there should be peace and tranquility…Development can happen when there is peace in a region…”

Earlier this month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the erstwhile state has attained new heights in development and growth after the abrogation of Article 370 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Central government has defended its decision to abrogate Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir saying post the changes, street violence, which was engineered and orchestrated by terrorists and secessionist networks has now become a thing of the past.

Since 2019, when Article 370 was abrogated, the entire region has witnessed an “unprecedented era of peace, progress and prosperity”, Centre said during a hearing in the Supreme Court earlier this year.

After the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir life has returned to normalcy there after three decades of turmoil, the Centre in its affidavit told the Supreme Court.

A number of petitions were filed in the top court including those of private individuals, lawyers, activists politicians and political parties challenging the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, which splits Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

It has been said that schools, colleges and universities have been functioning without any strikes during the last three years.

On August 5, 2019, the Central government announced the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir granted under Article 370 and split the region into two Union territories.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)