Restoration of J-K statehood 'solemn promise', will stand by it: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his government has made a "solemn promise" for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and will stand by it, adding the Centre was working very hard to create the right conditions. Noting that the record voter turnout in Srinagar is one of the "most gratifying things" he has seen in his tenure, Modi said people of Jammu and Kashmir have seen the NDA government's commitment to democracy enhancement in the region, "even at the cost of us sacrificing power for ourselves". "The restoration of statehood is a solemn promise we have made and we stand by it. We are working very hard to create the right conditions so that it can be done expeditiously," he told PTI in an exclusive interview here Sunday night. The Modi government had abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, in August 2019 and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. "Through the ...