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Fulfilling a long-standing promise of the BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved a resolution in the Rajya Sabha that Article 370which allowed Jammu and Kashmir to frame its own constitution will no longer apply.
“On the recommendation of the Parliament, the President is pleased to announce with effect from August 5, 2019, that all the provisions of the said Article 370 shall cease to be operative,” the resolution moved by the Home Minister said.
Shah also introduced a bill proposing to divide the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir Division and Ladakh.
Shah, who introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill, said the Union Territory of Ladakh would not have a legislature like Chandigarh. The second union territory of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature similar to that of Delhi and Puducherry.
As Shah made this announcement, Congress, TMC and DMK members sat on the floor of the House, one PDP member tore his clothes and then joined another PDP member. Tear the copies of the Constitution, to which Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu said. so that they are physically removed.
When the House convened, Naidu said he had used his discretionary powers to do away with the need to notify the government in advance and circulate the bill as the issue was of urgent national importance.
Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the entire Kashmir valley is under curfew and three former chief ministers and political leaders of the state have been placed under house arrest.
He wanted the situation to be discussed first but Naidu allowed Shah to move the resolution.
Shah introduced bills to increase reservation for economically weaker sections in educational institutions and government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir, along with abrogation of Article 370 as well as the State Reorganization Bill.
The Reorganization Bill provides for the creation of a Union Territory of Ladakh without a legislature and a separate territory with a legislature for Jammu and Kashmir.
While Naidu said that only the bill providing for reservation is being introduced now and the second one will be done after it is circulated to the members, the House approved the introduction in a voice vote.
Later, Naidu allowed Shah to re-table the resolution and reorganization bill, saying that copies had now been sent to members.
But it was not voted on and it was not immediately clear whether the earlier voice vote was for all bills and resolutions or just for the reservation bill.
Shah presented the resolution and bills together.
But the introduction was opposed by members of the Congress, TMC and DMK who stormed into the well with the leaders present in the House.
They first shouted slogans and then sat in the well of the House. Among those sitting on the floor were Azad, Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma and TMC leader Derek O’Brien.
However, members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) did not go with them.
Amid the commotion, PDP members Nazir Ahmed Lawe and Mir Muhammad Fayyaz raised slogans and tore posters. Lava also tore the ‘kurta’ he was wearing. Later, as the protests escalated, the two tore up copies of the constitution, prompting Naidu to order their ouster.
“Indian Constitution is supreme. Nobody can do that,” Naidu said as he named two members and ordered marshals to physically remove them from the House.
Before the marshals could do so, BJP leader Vijay Goyal tried to intervene but was pushed back.
Naidu said that the Indian Constitution is supreme and no one has the right to tear its copies.
He said that tearing the constitution, raising noise against India will not be allowed in the House. I will not only take names (members) but also action.
Azad said that the opposition is not against the reservation bill but wants to discuss the situation in Kashmir first.
While the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said the government was “correcting” the historic mistake of imposing Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said there was ample empirical evidence and preferences where governments in the past have vacillated. and have received approved bills. On the same day
Shah said that the reservation bill would help economically weaker sections by providing 10 percent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs. This reservation will be in addition to the existing reservation for SC, ST and OBC.
Noting that bills have been circulated and passed in a single day 38 times in the past, he said the resolution to abrogate Article 370 would become “null and void” once it is passed.
Vaiko said that the government is killing democracy.
“Emergency days are back,” he said.
“There is no emergency, only urgency,” Naidu said.
Azad said Article 370 is an integral part of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India and added that lakhs of security personnel and civilians have lost their lives in the state over 70 years.
“I strongly condemn the act of two or three members of Parliament (tearing copies of the Constitution), none from our party. We stand by the Constitution of India,” he said.
However, he said that BJP has killed democracy.
Shah replied that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are living in poverty and corruption because of Article 370.
He said three families have looted the state over the years, adding that Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India on October 27, 1947 but Article 370 came in 1949.
“It is not true that Jammu and Kashmir joined India because of the Article. 370” he said.
He said that Article 370 was always temporary and previous governments did not remove it due to lack of political will and vote bank politics.
Shah in his resolution said, “…the President, on the recommendation of the Parliament, is pleased to announce that, with effect from August 5, 2019, all the provisions of the said Article 370 except clause (1) shall cease to operate.” His will.”
“All the provisions of this Constitution, as amended from time to time, shall, without modification or exception, apply to the State of Jammu and Kashmir,” it read.
Article 370 of the Constitution gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir under which the provisions of the Constitution which are applicable to other states are not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.
According to this article, apart from defence, foreign affairs, finance and communications, Parliament needs the approval of the state government to enact all other laws.
It was introduced into the Constitution on 17 October 1949.
The announcement to end the days of uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir created an uproar in and outside the House.
PDP leader and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti said that India has failed to keep its promises to Kashmir.
He said the government’s “unilateral decision to abrogate Article 370” was illegal and unconstitutional.
Mehbooba said on Twitter that it would make India an occupying power in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mehbooba, who is under house arrest in Srinagar, said on Twitter, “This will have disastrous consequences for the subcontinent. GOI’s intentions are clear. They want to terrorize the Jammu and Kashmir region and its people.” want to do
“Not sure how long I can negotiate. Is this the India we agreed to?” he asked.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also echoed his anger, calling the government’s move “unilateral”.
“Today’s unilateral and shocking decisions by the Government of India (GOI) are a complete betrayal of the trust that the people of Jammu and Kashmir reposed in India when the state was annexed in 1947. These decisions will be far-reaching and dangerous. The consequences are aggression against the people of the state as warned in an all-party meeting in Srinagar yesterday.
He said in a statement that the government resorted to “deceit and theft” to base these disastrous decisions.
He said, “Those of us who gave a democratic voice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir are in jail as lakhs of armed security personnel are deployed on the ground… A long and hard battle lies ahead. We are for it.” Ready,” he said. .
There was a victory mood in BJP circles.
Senior party leader Arun Jaitley said that the government’s move on Article 370 is a monumental decision towards national unity.
His party colleague Ram Madhav also praised the decision.
“What a wonderful day. Finally, the martyrdom of thousands of people starting with Dr. Shyam Prasad Mukherjee for the full integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union is being paid tribute to and the seven-decade-old demand of the entire nation is being met by our eyes. is in front; have ever thought in our lives?” He tweeted moments after Shah’s announcement.
Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said that this initiative has opened the way for development and progress of Jammu and Kashmir.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the government’s decisions on Jammu and Kashmir were “brave” and “very important” for the interest of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir.
In a joint statement posted on the RSS’s Twitter handle, Bhagwat and his deputy Suresh Joshi said that everyone should rise above their vested interests and political differences and welcome and support the verdict.
There was celebration at the Shiv Sena headquarters in Dadar area of Mumbai. Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray called it a “proud moment” and a “historic day” for the country.
