New Delhi, August 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation via a special radio broadcast today on the prevailing situation in Jammu & Kashmir and to further explain the rationale behind his government's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted special status to the frontier state.

State broadcaster All India Radio (AIR), which had earlier announced that Modi's address would begin at 4 PM, has retracted its tweet. While reports have confirmed that the Prime Minister would be addressing the nation today, the timing was yet to be known. Article 370 Row: Petition Seeks Resumption of Internet, Phone Lines in J&K, SC Declines Urgent Hearing.

The address was earlier scheduled to be held on August 7, but was postponed due to the untimely demise of former foreign affairs minister and BJP veteran Sushma Swaraj.

Update by ANI:

Modi's address on Jammu & Kashmir will be his first public statement, barring his post on social media, on the scrapping of the state's special status and its conversion into a union territory.

In his tweet, however, Modi lauded his government's decision calling it a "new dawn" for the conflict-ridden residents of J&K.

"I salute my sisters and brothers of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for their courage and resilience. For years, vested interest groups who believed in emotional blackmail never cared for people’s empowerment. J&K is now free from their shackles. A new dawn, better tomorrow awaits," he had said on Twitter.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2019 12:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).