Chandigarh, Aug 14 (UNI) Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu has asserted that dilution of Article 370 would strengthen the security, safety and integrity of India and should not be viewed through any other narrow prism.

Delivering the first Balramji Dass Tandon Memorial Lecture at Panjab University here on Wednesday, the Vice- President said Jammu and Kashmir has always been an integral part of the country and would remain so. He bemoaned that a section of the western media was indulging in false propaganda on the situation in Kashmir post dilution of Article 370.

In this context, Mr Naidu referred to a news article published by a national daily in 1964. He said that MPs cutting across party lines including those from ruling party almost unanimously supported a non official resolution seeking abrogation of Article 370.

Reading out details of the news item, the Vice-President said the non official resolution moved by Mr Prakash Vir Shastri in Lok Sabha was supported by leaders like Mr Ram Manohar Lohia. Of the 12 members who favoured abrogation of Article 370, seven belonged to the Congress including Inder J Malhotra, Sham Lal Saraf (from J&K) and K Hanumanthaiya, senior Congress leader from Karnataka.

He also quoted a report published by another national daily in 1963 in which, the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru told the Lok Sabha that the process of gradual erosion of Article 370 was going on and fresh steps were being taken in that direction.

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