Kashmir’s ‘corruption’ removed along with its autonomy, says Indian PM Narendra Modi

Modi’s address to the nation came after rival Pakistan cut diplomatic and trade ties and said it would take the matter to the United Nations

His Kashmir move fulfilled a campaign promise made to his Hindu base, but the way it was implemented has raised concerns

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the symbol of his Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Photo: AP

Published: 11:44pm, 8 Aug 2019Updated: 11:48pm, 8 Aug 2019

India’s government has rid the part of Kashmir it administers of dynastic politics and entrenched corruption by revoking its seven decades of autonomy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an address to the nation on Thursday evening.

The televised address came after rival Pakistan cut diplomatic and trade ties and sought to garner international support for its opposition to what New Delhi has called “entirely the internal affairs” of India.

The federal government will look at ways to reduce the state deficit in Kashmir, Modi said, seeking to reassure Kashmiris that governance will continue as normal without undue influence from the capital, New Delhi.

“A new era has been started in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” Modi said. “Now all the rights of all citizens are the same,” Modi said.

His Kashmir move fulfilled a campaign promise made to his Hindu base, which opposed special treatment for the region. The state has been the main flashpoint between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since the British left the subcontinent in 1947.

Supporters of the separatist People's Political Party hold banners and shout slogans during a protest in Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir. Photo: AP

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