Special Status to
Jammu & Kashmir revoked
Historic decision
announced in Parliament
New Delhi:
Government of India on Monday, 5th August 2019 announced that the
Special Status given to the state of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked and Home Minister
Amith Shah moved 4 resolutions to that effect in both houses Parliament amidst protest
from opposition.
President of
India, Ramnath Kovind has signed the order making the suitable changes to the rules under the The Constitution (Application
to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019.
Home Minister Amit Shah on moved a resolution
in Rajya Sabha to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution that extends special
status to Jammu and Kashmir. The government, which listed four bills and
legislative proposals before the Rajya Sabha, intends to get the resolution
passed by the end of day.
As the Shah read out the
details of the proposal, opposition leaders tried to disrupt the proceedings
but did not get far. Amit Shah, who also leads the Bharatiya Janata Party,
continued to read out his other proposals.
Parliamentary affairs
minister Pralhad Joshi sought to reprimand the opposition. “Amit Shah is
rectifying the historical blunder of Jawaharlal Nehru,” Joshi told the
opposition benches about the resolution that had been on the agenda of the
ruling BJP for years.
Regional parties in Jammu
and Kashmir have called attempts to abrogate Article 370 an aggression against
the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Home Minister Amit Shah said
he would also speak about the situation in Kashmir which has been put under a
security lockdown by the administration. Movement of several political leaders
such as former chief ministers Omar Abdullah Mehbooba Mufti have been
restricted by the administration which has also severely curtailed movement of
public.
The communication network in
the Valley – mobile, fixed line and internet – has been shut down and key
officials given satellite phones to stay in touch.
“As per the order, there
shall be no movement of public and all educational institutions shall also remain
closed. There will be a complete bar on holding any kind of public meetings or
rallies during the period of operation of this order,” the administration said
late on Sunday night.
It insisted that reports
that curfew had been imposed in Srinagar weren’t true but indicated that people
couldn’t move out without permission. “Identity cards of essential services
officials will be treated as movement passes wherever required,” the state
said.
Amit Shah’s statement in
Parliament, first in the Rajya Sabha and later in the Lok Sabha, came after
meetings of the Union Cabinet and the government’s top-decision making body on
security matters, the Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
A government spokesperson
did not brief reporters about the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet. But
sources hinted that it could have something about the special provisions
relating to Jammu and Kashmir.
The ruling BJP has already
issued a three-line whip ordering all its members to be present in the Parliament
between 5 and 7 July. “All members of the Lok Sabha are informed that some very
important business will be taken up for business will be taken up for
discussion and passing between 5th August and 7th August 2019,” the whip,
accessed by HT, said.
Regional parties in J&K
such as the National Conference and the Peoples’ Democratic Party have accused
the administration of creating disquiet and resolved to fight any attempt to
abrogate the constitutional provisions that guarantee Jammu and Kashmir special
status.
The parties also appealed to
India and Pakistan not to take any steps that will escalate tension in the
region.
“We had made an effort to
tell the people of this country and the government about the consequences if
they toy with Articles 35A and 370 (of the Constitution). We made an appeal
too, but no assurance has been given yet from the Centre. They are not bothered
to say anything, to say that everything will be alright,” Mehbooba Mufti said
after an all party meeting in the Valley on Sunday.
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