International News
The Rajya Sabha on Monday approved a resolution scrapping provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and passed another Bill approving the bifurcation of the state into two Union territories, amid protests by the Opposition.The two Union territories will be Ladakh and J&K. Ladakh will not have a legislature. J&K’s status will be akin to Delhi and Puducherry.
Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Bill a little after 11 am.
Replying to the debate in the Upper House, Shah said he was aware the “NGO (non-government organisation) brigade” would move the Supreme Court to challenge the Bill, but he was confident it would pass legal muster.
To demands that J&K remain a full-fledged state, Shah said it was unlikely in the short term, given that protests would meet the development. But the Centre could think about it afterwards if conditions improved in the Valley. He rejected apprehensions that Kashmir could turn into Kosovo.
The Lok Sabha will take up the resolution and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill on Tuesday. Since the government has a comfortable majority in the House, these are unlikely to face any hurdles.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Bill to reorganise the state into Union territories was passed with 125 votes in favour and 61 against. Other Bills and resolutions were passed by voice vote.
A long road
Abrogating Article 370 has been part of the core agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1951. Its earlier avatar, Jana Sangh, led by Syama Prasad Mookerji, had first protested against “Ek desh mein do vidhan, do nishan” — alluding to J&K getting a separate flag and Constitution....Read More
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