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President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday, 6 August, declared the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The move came after both Houses of Parliament passed a resolution in this regard.
The Congress Working Committee late on Tuesday deplored the "unilateral, brazen and totally undemocratic" manner in which provisions of Article 370 were abrogated and J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday, 6 August, congratulated the residents of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh regions after the resolution to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution and the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019 were passed in the Parliament.
"The dream of one India that our freedom fighters saw has been completed by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah today," ANI quoted Adityanath as saying.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the passage of bills on Jammu and Kashmir in Parliament as a "momentous occasion" in parliamentary democracy and said that a ‘new dawn’ awaits the people there as they are now free from the ‘shackles’ of vested interest groups.
"Together we are, together we shall rise and together we will fulfil the dreams of 130 crore Indians! A momentous occasion in our parliamentary democracy, where landmark bills pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir have been passed with overwhelming support!" Modi said in a series of tweets.
BJP veteran Arun Jaitley took on the Congress on Tuesday for its opposition to end special status of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the party was a "headless chicken".
Jaitley, a former union minister, also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have earned a place in history, asserting that the vision of party's ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee has proved correct and that of Jawaharlal Nehru a "failure", PTI reported.
‘President Ram Nath Kovind did a Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed,’ historian Ramachandra Guha said on Monday after the government effectively revoked Article 370 through a presidential order.
Ahmed, who was the fifth president of India, signed the declaration of Emergency in 1975.
"President Kovind does a Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed," Guha said.
"This is not democracy, this is authoritarianism, the handiwork of paranoid, insecure rulers who daren't even have a proper debate inside or outside Parliament," he added.
Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech (on revocation of Article 370) in the Rajya Sabha was extensive and insightful, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, 5 August.
“It accurately highlighted the monumental injustices of the past and coherently presented our vision for the sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir,” the PM said in a tweet.
Makkal Needhi Maiam President Kamal Haasan on Monday said the way in which Article 370 and 35A was scrapped is "a clear assault on democracy".
"The legality to revoke article 370 and article 35 A should be a separate discussion. MNM questions the attitude of this Government to shut opposition by force, which is nothing but a murder of democracy," Haasan said in a statement.
"It was demonetisation the last term and Article 370 this term. This is extremely regressive and autocratic," the statement added.
Joining the chorus of Opposition parties against the move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution, the Trinamool Congress said on Monday that the government has committed "procedural harakiri" by scrapping the provision which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
"Trinamool is against the Constitutional immorality and procedural harakiri committed today," PTI quoted TMC Rajya Sabha member and national spokesperson Derek O'Brien as saying.
Tourism did not develop in Jammu and Kashmir because of restrictions on land purchase due to Article 370 and 35A, Home Minister Amit Shah said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, 5 August, as he backed the Centre's decision to scrap the provisions.
Healthcare is crippling and the Right to Education could not be implemented in Kashmir due to Article 370, 35A, Shah reportedly said and asserted that "after abrogation of Article 370, J&K will truly become integral part of India".
Full state status will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at appropriate time; when normalcy returns, he added.
Senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi on Monday justified his party MPs staging a walkout in Rajya Sabha over the Centre's move to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was in line with the ideologies of Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and George Federnandes, who opposed any tinkering with the legislation.
Tyagi, who is JD(U) national general secretary and chief spokesperson, said the abrogation of Article 370 has been the BJP's agenda, but not of his party, PTI reported.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday, 5 August, said the move (to reorganise J&K) was "something the country had been waiting for the last 70 years." She said, "even our manifesto mentioned the need to abrogate Article 370, so it is not something we brought out suddenly like a rabbit from a magic hat," reported ANI.
Former External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Monday, 5 August, termed as a "momentous decision" the Central government revoking Article 370 and said it ends a huge ambiguity about Kashmir.
"This step ensures the completion of the integration of India started by Sardar Patel," the BJP leader said.
Soon after the Centre announced its decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution, veteran BJP leader LK Advani on Monday, 5 August, said that it's a "bold step towards strengthening national integration."
"I am happy with the Centre's decision to revoke Article 370 and I believe that it is a bold step towards strengthening national integration," Advani said in a statement, reported ANI.
The Constitution of India has been rewritten without following any legal provisions, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said on Monday, 5 August, soon after the Centre announced its decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution. “Such a historic decision should not have been taken and pushed through in this arbitrary manner,” news agency ANI quoted Amarinder as saying.
Revoking Article 370 in J&K is a constitutional monstrosity, can happen in any other state of India, said Congress’ P Chidambaram.
Nationalist Congress Party Chief Sharad Pawar said that the government should have taken the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir into confidence before announcing the decision.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also supported the proposals put forward by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In a tweet, Kejriwal said that he hopes that this brings peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir.
A Navaneethakrishnan, AIADMK MP in Rajya Sabha, said that the party supports the two resolutions. He said, "Amma (Jayalalithaa) is well known for upholding sovereignty and integrity. So AIADMK party supports the two resolutions, the Reorganisation Bill and the Reservation Bill.
BJD MP, Prasanna Acharya in Rajya Sabha said that in real sense, Jammu and Kashmir has become a part of India.
Janata Dal United (JDU) leader KC Tyagi, on the removal of Article 370 and change of status of Jammu and Kashmir as a state, said that his party does not support the government’s move. He said that Nitish Kumar will carry forward the tradition of JP Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and George Fernandes.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that this is not the first time there has been a change in Article 370. He said that the Congress, in 1952 and 1962, amended the Article 370 through a similar process, further requesting a discussion instead of the noise.
BSP MP Satish Chandra Mishra said that the BJP supports the abolishment of Article 370 and the other bill that divides the state into two Union Territories. He further said that the party gives complete support and wants the Bill to be passed.
Two PDP members - Nazir Ahmad Laway and MM Fayaz – were physically removed from the Rajya Sabha by marshals after they tried to tear copies of Indian Constitution.
While saying that there should be no delay in revoking Article 370, Home Minister Amit Shah said that three families have looted the ‘erstwhile’ state for years. He further refuted leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad’s claim that Article 370 is connected J&K to India. Shah said that Maharaja Hari Singh signed the J&K Instrument of Accession on 27 October 1947, while Article 370 came in 1954.
The Jammu and Kashmir reorganisation Bill was also tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah. The bill proposes to divide the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two territories - Jammu and Kashmir territory and Ladakh territory.
The J&K territory will be one with legislature, while the Ladakh territory will be without legislature.
A Law ministry notification has said that the Bill to revoke Article 370 will be called the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) order, 2019. The notification said that the Bill shall come into force at once, and shall thereupon supersede the Constitution order of 1954 as amended from time to time.
Home Minister Amit Shah proposes abrogation of Article 370 in his address to the Rajya Sabha amid ruckus in the House.
Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the Parliament, starting with the J&K Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill. The home minister, however, met with opposition from Ghulam Nabi Azad, who demanded Shah bring up the ongoing situation in Kashmir first.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address both Houses of Parliament on Monday, 5 August, amid heightened tensions in Jammu and Kashmir.
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