Parliament on Tuesday completed the formality of passing a resolution scrapping special status to Jammu & Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and a Bill for splitting the State into two Union Territories.
The Lok Sabha adopted the resolutions with 351 members voting in its support and 72 against it, while one member abstained. The resolution and the Bill were approved by the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The Bill to create two UTs — Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh — was passed by 370 votes in favour and 70 against. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House.’
Modi hailed the passage of Bills as a “momentous occasion” in parliamentary democracy and said a new dawn awaits the State which is 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 & Kashmir have been passed with overwhelming support!” he said in a series of tweets soon after the Lok Sabha passed the Bills.
Parliament has given its nod to abolish the special status granted to the State under Article 370 and also to bifurcate it into two Union Territories.
“For years, vested interest groups who believed in emotional blackmail, never cared for people’s empowerment. J&K is now free from their shackles. A new dawn, better tomorrow awaits!” the Prime Minister said.
“Saluting sisters and brothers of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for their courage and resilience,” he said, adding that the Bill will ensure integration and empowerment of these regions. These steps will bring the youth into the mainstream and give them innumerable opportunities to showcase their skills and talents, he said, adding that local infrastructure will significantly improve.
Describing article 370 as a cover for the “three families” who alone benefited from its continuation and fuelled terrorism and corruption, leaving poor in Jammu & Kashmir high and dry, Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared in the Lok Sabha that the provision was “at the root of separatism nursed by Pakistan”.
Replying to the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Bill Jammu & Kashmir, Shah said Article 370 stood in the way of progress of poor in J&K and blocked Central laws and policies which would have provided them financial, educational and reservation benefits. He said the provision had forced Kashmiri women marrying outside to forego their rights on property in Kashmir.
Shah said Article 370 that stands abrogated now benefited only “three families” in the State and made Kashmiri villagers “poorer”. Opposition benches sought Home Minister to name the families to which, he said “all know the families” but for the propriety of the House he would not mention the names.
He said under Zia-ul Haq’s regime in Pakistan and his “Operation Topac” Articles 370 and 35-A were used to fuel terrorism in the Valley and youths were led astray there. The Home Minister said the Article was at the root of separatism in the State and killed 41,000 people since 1989.
“Aapko 370 se kya mila, shiksha, arogya, rojgar... kya mila.. 370 ka jhunghuna pakde huye ho…”, said Shah looking at the Congress benches. He said because of Article 370 none unlike all over the country land prices did not increase but now industry, business and individuals go there and “land prices will increase”. “Kashmir prithvi ka swarrg tha, hai aur rahega”, he said allying Opposition’s apprehension on Government deleting the autonomy provision.
Shah said Article 370 has nothing to do with secularism and quoted Samajwadi leader Ram Monohar Lohia saying that “370 separates India from Kashmir and should be abrogated”. The Home Minster said refugees from Pakistan who went to Kashmir still do not have voting rights. Shah quipped that was good that Manmohan Singh and LK Advani, who became Prime Minister and Deputy-Prime Minister, did not go to Kashmir but to Punjab.
He questioned Human Rights groups double standards in not questioning J and K not giving voting rights to those settled there and suppression of sufis and Kashmiri Rs Pandits.Rs
During the day intervening in the debate, Shah said former J & K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah was not under house arrest and wherever he is, he has gone on his own will. “He is well... If he does not want to come out of his house, he cannot be brought out at gunpoint,” the minister again said after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed concern over Abdullah’s absence during the debate on a motion to abrogate provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and a Bill to split the State into two Union Territories.
Earlier, the Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sought to know from the Government whether Jammu & Kashmir was an internal matter or a bilateral issue, saying the United Nations has been monitoring the situation there since 1948.
Chowdhury’s remarks triggered protests from treasury Benches.
“You say it is an internal matter. The UN has been monitoring the situation since 1948. Then there is Simla Agreement and Lahore Declaration. Whether this is a bilateral matter or an internal matter....” he asked.
Initiating the debate on the motions to abrogate provisions of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation bill from the Congress’ side, Manish Tewari Slammed the government, saying it cannot change the boundaries of the state without consulting the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
“This is travesty of the Constitution (savidhnaik trasti)”, Tewari said. “This is not in the spirit of Parliament,” he said. Tewari also raised queries over the fate of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.
Home Minister Amit Shah sought to know what was the Congress stand on Article 370.
To this, Tewari said, “Everything cannot be black and white. There are 50 shades of grey in between.” He also said it was due to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that Jammu and Kashmir, Junagadh and Hyderabad became a part of India.
Manish Tewari’s party colleague Shashi Tharoor compared the Modi Government’s move of abrogating the special status to Jammu and Kashmir to ‘demonetisation’ let loose by by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8, 2016.
“We all remember the last time Prime Minister unleashed a decision to the nation which was also initially applauded for his decisiveness, just like today and that was the disaster of demonetisation. The nation is still dealing with the devastating consequences of that action,” said Tharoor.
Referring to the detention of National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and confusion on the whereabouts of NC Chief Farooq Abdullah, Tharror said it was black day for the nation. “ “Why we think it is indeed a black day? Because two former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are under arrest and the whereabouts of our own colleague Farooq Abdullah are still unclear. We still want to know where he is?” asked Tharoor while speaking in the House.