Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday showcased the scrapping of Articles 370 and 35-A from the Constitution as a key achievement of the NDA government that had been delivered in less than 70 days. The old arrangement, PM Modi said in his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, encouraged corruption and nepotism. “There was injustice when it came to rights of women, children, Dalits, tribal communities... The dreams ofsanitation workers were unfulfilled. How could we accept such a situation,” PMModi said in his first Independence Day address to the nation after the NDA government was voted back to power in national elections, his sixth.

“We do not believe in creating problems or prolonging them.In less than 70 days of the new Government versus the 70 years that it hadlingered for, Article 370 has become history, and in both Houses of Parliament,two-third of the members supported this step,” PM Modi said on the move to endspecial status for J&K and carve two union territories out of the state. Inparliament and outside, however, there has been a group of political partiesled by the Congress that has raised questions about the move, the breakneckspeed at which the government pushed through the changes past parliament withina week and blamed the government for not taking the stakeholders on board. PMModi, who spoke about his government’s strategy to take problems head-on andhandle them with unwavering conviction, turned to parties that opposedscrapping Article 370.

Without naming the opposition or the Congress, PM Modi saidthe provisions had continued as a “temporary provision” for 70 years despitemajority governments. It means they knew Article 370 “wasn’t good for thenation”, the Prime Minister reasoned. “If Article 370 was so important and lifechanging, why did you not make Article 370 permanent in 70 years when you hadthe majority. You could have removed the temporary status of Article 370 butdid not,” PM Modi said.“Everyone, wanted to get rid of this provision... but noone wanted to take the first step,” he said, attributing the reluctance of pastgovernments to address the negative effects of Article 370 to “politicalreasons.”

The prime minister underscored that his government neithernurses problems nor keeps them pending. Previous governments made efforts inthe past 70 years to deal with Kashmir, but it did not bear results, he said,adding “a new approach was needed”.He said his government has dedicated itselfon all fronts in the service of countrymen.“The spirit of one nation, oneconstitution has become a reality now. And India is proud of it,” he said. Healso referred to the introduction of GST, saying it has given life to the dreamof one nation, one tax.

India has also achieved one nation, one power grid in theenergy sector and arrangements have been made for one nation, one mobilitycard.“Today, India is talking about one nation, one election. It is good thatsuch a discussion is taking place,” he said referring to holding ofsimultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.PM Modi also condoledthe death of people in recent floods and assured the affected of all help.