Jammu and Kashmir no more a state, split into two Union Territories; President rule revoked

Jammu | Jagran News Desk: Nearly three months after the Narendra Modi government scrapped Article 370, which conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, the state on Thursday has officially been split into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The President’s rule imposed in undivided Jammu and Kashmir was also revoked today following the bifurcation. "In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of article 356 of the Constitution, I, Ram Nath Kovind, President of India, hereby revoke the proclamation issued by me under the said article on the 19th December, 2018 in relation to the State of Jammu and Kashmir," the official notification said.

With this, the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and the Ranbir Penal Code will cease to exist from Thursday, when the nation celebrates 'National Unity Day' to mark the birth anniversary of the country's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is credited for the merger of over 560 states into the Union of India.

The UTs of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will be headed by lieutenant governors G C Murmu and R K Mathur, respectively. They will take oath on Thursday.

This is for the first time that a state is being converted into two UTs. The total number of states in the country will now be 28, while the total UTs will go up to nine.

The swearing-in ceremony will be first held in Leh where Mathur would be administered oath of office followed by that of Murmu in Srinagar. Both Murmu and Mathur will be sworn-in by Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Gita Mittal.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, states that the appointed day for the two UTs is October 31 and these will come into existence in the midnight (Wednesday-Thursday).

The announcement of abrogation of the state's special status and its bifurcation was made in Rajya Sabha on August 5.

The UT of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Puducherry while Ladakh will be a UT without legislature like Chandigarh and both the UTs will be headed by two separate lieutenant governors (LG), as per the Act.

The Centre will be in direct control of the police and the law and order in Jammu and Kashmir from Thursday when it becomes a UT, while the land will be under the elected government there.

The UT of Ladakh will be under the direct control of the central government which will administer the high-altitude region through the LG.

Senior IAS officer Umang Narula was appointed advisor to Ladakh's Lt Governor and S S Khandare police head of the UT.

While moving the resolution in the Rajya Sabha that Article 370 -- which allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have its own Constitution and prohibited outsiders from buying land and property in the state, Shah had said these provisions will no longer be applicable and the central government will restore its statehood at "appropriate time" and after "normalcy" returns.

Soon after the abrogation of the Article 370, several hundred political leaders and separatists were put under detention by the Jammu and Kashmir administration while restrictions were also imposed on movement of people, vehicles, telephone, mobile phones and internet.

While most of the restrictions were removed since then, curb on internet is still continuing and situation in the Kashmir Valley is yet to be termed as complete normal. Among those put under detention include three former chief ministers -- Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.