Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) As India observes the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Shiv Sena-UBT leader and MLA Aditya Thackeray on Tuesday said that while the removal of the constitutional provision was a necessary and proud step, the promised restoration of statehood remains unfulfilled.

“Removing Article 370 was a necessary step, and we are proud of it. But the statehood that was to be granted after this has not yet been fulfilled. The security situation remains concerning—there is still no clear answer as to who was behind the recent terrorist activities in Pahalgam,” Thackeray, the son of SS-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, said.

Thackeray’s remarks came as political leaders across the spectrum reflected on the impact of the decision taken in 2019, which significantly altered Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional and administrative status.

Reacting to US President Donald Trump’s latest comments threatening “substantially higher tariffs” on India over its continued oil trade with Russia, Thackeray expressed concern over the Indian government’s silence.

“The most important thing is that no Union Minister has responded to this yet. India appears helpless on the global stage. We must respond firmly. The Commerce Ministry should make a public statement, because this issue directly affects trade and, in turn, impacts the common citizen,” he added.

Taking a jibe at the friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump, he added: “Trump and PM Modi were once hailed as best friends. But that so-called friendship is now nowhere to be seen.”

Commenting on the fifth anniversary of the Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan, Thackeray said, “Prominent saints like Shankaracharya were not even invited to the inauguration. The temple wasn’t fully ready at the time—it became more of an election issue than a religious milestone. We had already said earlier—for them, its First temple, then government’.”

–IANS

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