Article 370 Effectively Revoked, Who Opposed & Who Supported It?

Former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said it was a total “betrayal of trust” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said it was an absolute “betrayal of trust” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir

(Photo: The Quint/Aroop Mishra)

Video Producer: Srishti Tyagi

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman

Soon after the Centre announced its decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution which provided special status to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir, as well as its bifurcation into two Union Territories, many regional and mainstream political parties lashed out against the decision, with the NC claiming the move is “disastrous” and may lead to “catastrophic consequences”.

Here is the list of parties which have criticised the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370:

Congress

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that the government has wiped out Jammu and Kashmir's identity, while former Home Minister P Chidambaram called the day a “black day” in Indian history, PTI reported.

TMC

TMC’s Derek O’Brien was among those who squatted in the well of the House and raised slogans of protest. Speaking about the issue, he said that the abrogation of Article 370 as well as the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir is an assault on India’s federalism.

Samajwadi Party

IANS quoted the Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav as saying, “A country runs on consensus and all parties should have been consulted and taken into confidence. Putting leaders under house arrest or exerting pressure on people is not correct, but BJP knows how to bring institutions under its thumb.”

The party’s leader in the Rajya Sabha Ramgopal Yadav spoke against the government’s Bill regarding the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir.

CPM

CPM leader TK Rangarajan, participating in the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, said, “It’s a black day. Indian Constitution has been raped by BJP government. You didn’t consult people of J&K and Ladakh. You dissolved Assembly, you don’t want to hold any election. You’ve taken another 35,000 Army people there. You’re creating another Palestine.”

CPI

Speaking during the debate in the Rajya Sabha, CPI leader Binoy Vishwam slammed the manner in which the government introduced the Bill and called it an assault on democracy and federalism.

DMK

DMK President MK Stalin, on Monday, condemned the Centre’s decision, saying it is murderous to democracy.

Stalin further said it is condemnable that the AIADMK supported the Centre in this heinous venture.

“Instead of calling itself as All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the party should now rename itself All India Bharatiya Janata Party.”

MK Stalin, DMK President

Later, in a statement, Stalin accused the BJP-led Centre of being concerned only about implementing its ideological agenda and not respecting the sentiments of the people of J&K, who have stood behind India.

MDMK

MDMK leader Vaiko said, “You have played with the sentiments of people of Kashmir. When additional army personnel were deployed there, I was worried. Kashmir should not become Kosovo, East Timor and South Sudan”, ANI reported.

“I am opposing this Bill. This is a day of shame, shame, shame... this is murder of democracy,” Vaiko reportedly said.

PDP

Former Jammu and Kashmir CM and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said the decision will have “catastrophic consequences” for the subcontinent and alleged that India has failed Kashmir in keeping its promises.

“Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. Decision of J&K leadership to reject two-nation theory in 1947 and align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of GoI to scrap Article 370 is illegal & unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K,” Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.

Two PDP MPs were escorted out of the House after they tried to tear a copy of the Indian Constitution.

National Conference

Terming the government's move “unilateral and shocking”, Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said it was a “betrayal of trust” of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Government of India (GoI)‘s unilateral and shocking decisions today are a total betrayal of the trust that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had reposed in India when the state acceded to it in 1947.”

Omar Abdullah

“The decisions will have far-reaching and dangerous consequences. This is an aggression against people of the state as had been warned by an all-parties meeting in Srinagar yesterday,” Abdullah added.

He accused the Centre of resorting to “deceit and stealth” in recent weeks to lay the ground for these “disastrous decisions”.

The Parties Which Will Abstain From Voting Include:

NCP

The Nationalist Congress Party will abstain from voting on the Bill (for reorganisation of the state), MP Vandana Chavan informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Meanwhile, senior party leader Sharad Pawar told ANI, “I think the Government of India should have taken them (leaders of the Valley) into confidence before taking any such decision. But unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”

JDU

Stating that Janata Dal (United) Chief Nitish Kumar is carrying forward the tradition of JP Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and George Fernandes, party leader KC Tyagi said on Monday that JD(U) is not supporting the Bill moved in the Rajya Sabha.

“We have different thinking. We want that Article 370 should not be revoked,” Tyagi reportedly said.

The Parties Which Supported the Centre’s Decision Include:

BJP

Senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Ram Madhav and several other BJP leaders welcomed the Centre's decision calling it a “bold and historic” move towards national integration.

In a tweet, Swaraj described the government's decision as “bold and historic”.

BJP leader Ram Madhav also hailed the government's decision and said the martyrdom of the party's ideologue Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee for complete integration of the state has been “honoured”.

Shiv Sena

The Shiv Sena hailed the Modi-led government's move to abolish Article 370, saying India has become independent in the true sense with this decision.

Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, whose party is an ally of the ruling BJP, said the government's move on Article 370 is fulfilment of the dream of late Bal Thackeray and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“I am happy that such a big dream has come true. Today, our country has become fully independent.”

Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena President

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai distributed sweets to celebrate the scrapping of Article 370.

AIADMK

AIADMK leader A Navaneethakrishnan on Monday said his party supported the Bill introduced to reorganise the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Navaneethakrishnan said he welcomes the statutory resolutions and the Bills. “There is nothing to worry,” he said, PTI reported.

Reading out content from the Constitution, he said the Article was temporary.

BSP and Others

Soon after Home Minister Amit Shah spoke in the House, BSP member Satish Chandra Misra rose to say that his party supported the Bill.

“Our party gives complete support. We want that the Bill be passed. Our party is not expressing any opposition to Article 370 and the other Bill,” Misra reportedly said amid applause from the treasury benches.

Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, Akali Dal, LJP, AGP, PMK, RPI(A), BPF, BJD, TRS, YSRCP and TDP are among parties supporting the Centre’s decision on Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from PTI)