Justice (retd.) Chittotosh Mukherjee, the nephew of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee has congratulated the Centre for abrogating Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution that provided special status to the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
Hours after the Union Government scrapped Articles 370 and 35A the retired Chief Justice of Bombay High Court expressed his “full support" for the Centre’s “bold step which was long overdue,” adding how his “uncle had fought for the abrogation of this Article” which stood in the way of unification of India.
“I am happy that after more than 70 years of our Independence this great task has been achieved and my uncle’s dream has come true,” the nonagenarian said even as the BJP leaders of Bengal took pride in how Dr Mukherjee, the then Calcutta South, MP had given a call for “ek pradhan, ek bidhan, ek nishan (one chief, one law, one emblem).”
Dr. Mukherjee was the founder of Bharatiya Jan Sangh a primary constituent of what emerged as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) post Janata Party regime.
Dr. Mukherjee was among the first to question the special status for Kashmir wondering why a constituent State would be allowed a status unlike the other States. He subsequently had died in what many a critic call mysterious circumstances.
The ruling Trinamool Congress however condemned the move as one, “intended at destabilizing Jammu and Kashmir so as to reap political dividends.” Senior party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said “the repealing of Article 370 will not only destabilize Kashmir but also push it towards a perennial state of confusion,” adding “a cloud of uncertainty will prevail in Kashmir from now on. Instead of peace and prosperity it will bring complete chaos in the Valley.”