Ever since Amit Shah took over as the Union Home Minister nearly two months back, the Centres policy on Jammu and Kashmir has become tougher, leading to expectations and speculation that there could be forward movement towards abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which grantss pecial status to the state.

An indication about the government taking a tough line on the issue came in Parliament recently when Shah emphasized, repeatedly, thatArticle 370 of the Constitution is "temporary in nature" and"not permanent".He also insisted that Jammu and Kashmir would not have witnessed the situation in which it currently is if the article had been abrogated long back -- during the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru.Due to the special provision, only the people having thePermanent Residence Certificate of Jammu and Kashmir can buy land in the state.

The issue of scrapping Article 370 has been a major plank of the BJP for decades but it seems to have acquired a sense of more seriousness in the Modi government's second term, particularly with Shah holding the portfolio of Home Affairs.

While most of the parties and other sections of the society of Kashmir valley have been strongly opposing any move to abrogate Article 370,there has been an overwhelming demand in Jammu region of the state for scrapping this provision, which is seen as preventing the full integration of the state with the Union of India.

The issue received more limelight after the Supreme Court earlier this month said it would consider urgent hearing on a PIL challenging the constitutional validity of Article 370.

The court took note of the submission of BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay that his PIL be listed for an urgent hearing.

Upadhyay, who had filed the PIL in September last year, hascontended that the special provision was "temporary" in nature at thetime of framing of the Constitution and Article 370(3) lapsed with thedissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly on January 26, 1957.

The plea also seeks a declaration from the top court thatthe separate Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir was "arbitrary" and"unconstitutional" on various grounds, including that it was againstthe "supremacy of the Constitution of India and contrary to dictum of 'OneNation, One Constitution, One National Anthem and One National Flag'.

Besides taking a tough line on Article 370, Shah has alsogiven directions to the security and intelligence agencies to crack down onterrorists and separatists.

The Home Minister is also boosting the morale of Jammu andKashmir Police, which is on the frontline of the fight against separatists andterrorism, the officials said.

The state is currently under the Centre's rule, ever sincethe PDP-BJP government collapsed in June last year.