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Congress divided over Article 370, bifurcation of J&K

The Congress has been a divided house after the government on Monday moved to modify Article 370 - granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir- and bifurcation of the former state. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi opposed the move, Jyotiraditya Scindia among others supported the decision.

Congress divided over Article 370, bifurcation of J&K
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Published : Aug 6, 2019, 8:24 PM IST

Updated : Aug 6, 2019, 9:59 PM IST

New Delhi: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia is the latest among a host of Congress leaders ditching the party line on the modification of Article 370 - granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir- and bifurcation of the former state.

He took to Twitter to express his support for the contentious move made by the Bharatiya Janta Party-led central government' s decision.

"I support the move on Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh and its full integration into union of India. Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our country’s interest and I support this," he tweeted.

  • I support the move on #JammuAndKashmir & #Ladakh and its full integration into union of India.

    Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our country’s interest and I support this.

    — Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) August 6, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Scindia was preceded by another Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan said that Article 370 is a provision that eventually had to be revoked.

"Because we're in Opposition, people expect us to oppose. But in my opinion, the decision to revoke Article 370, that was anyway temporary and had to be revoked, is the right decision," she said.

Ranjan added, "This is the right move by the government as it integrates Kashmiris with the other people of the nation. Kashmiri women used to be denied property rights if they married a person from another state. With the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, these issues would be addressed."

These statements have come at a day when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the “abuse of executive power” by the ruling BJP and said the move would have grave implications for India’s national security.

Gandhi’s statement, voicing strong opposition to the way the government went about repealing the special status, comes at a time when an internal rift in the Congress has come to the fore over the stand taken by the party on the crucial issue.

“This nation is made by its people, not plots of land,” he wrote on Twitter, spelling out what the party line would be going forward.

“National integration isn’t furthered by unilaterally tearing apart J&K, imprisoning elected representatives and violating our Constitution. This nation is made by its people, not plots of land,” he said.

  • National integration isn’t furthered by unilaterally tearing apart J&K, imprisoning elected representatives and violating our Constitution. This nation is made by its people, not plots of land.

    This abuse of executive power has grave implications for our national security.

    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 6, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Going against the party's stand, senior Congress leaders Janardan Dwivedi and Deepender Hooda also have voiced support to the move.

In an embarrassment to the Congress, another leader Anil Shastri said the grand old party should sense the mood of the people before taking a stand, noting that they were with the government on this.

Shastri also said on Twitter, "Congress must sense the mood of the people and then take a stand. The people are totally with the government on this issue. We opposed Mandal and lost UP and Bihar and should not risk now of losing India."

  • We should support the revocation of Article 370 as it allows J&K to be fully integrated with India & is right for the country & the state. It would have been better if a more collaborative & consultative approach had been taken by the BJP govt for its revocation.

    — Anil K Shastri (@anilkshastri) August 6, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Janardan Dwivedi welcomed the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying even though it came late, a historical mistake had been corrected.

The Congress has been a divided house after the government on Monday moved to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir by amending Article 370 with a presidential decree, and turn the state into two Union Territories, which would give the Centre all the power in the region.

Congress leader Deepender Hooda, the son of former Haryanaa Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had also welcomed the government move and so had another leader Jaiveer Shergill.

Hooda contended that the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir "is in the interest of national integrity".

Congress MLA from Rae Bareli Aditi Singh also said on Twitter, "United we stand! Jai Hind. #Article370."

When someone reminded her that she was a Congress leader, Singh replied back, saying, "Main ek Hindustani hoon (I am an Indian)." She termed it a historic decision and urged people not to politicise it. Singh's Assembly segment -- Rae Bareli Sadar -- is a part of UPA chairperson and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency.

This was in sharp contrast to the stand taken by the party in Parliament. Azad and Chidambaram had called the repeal of special status as "murder of democracy" in Rajya Sabha, while Manish Tewari called it a constitutional travesty in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

While senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and P Chidambaram vehemently opposed the move in Rajya Sabha on Monday, senior party leaders, including Janardan Dwivedi, a Congress veteran and Gandhi family loyalist, took a different stand.

However, Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora said it was "very unfortunate" that Article 370 was being converted into a "liberal vs conservative debate".

"Parties should put aside ideological fixations & debate what's best for India's sovereignty and federalism, peace in J&K, jobs for Kashmiri youth and justice for Kashmiri Pandits," he said in a tweet.

  • Abolishing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution could well be dubbed Modi Sarkar 2.0’s demonetisation moment.

    For the sake of peace & development in Jammu & Kashmir, I hope this decision plays out more favourably than demonetisation did

    — Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) August 5, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">
"Abolishing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution could well be dubbed Modi Sarkar 2.0's demonetisation moment. For the sake of peace and development in Jammu & Kashmir, I hope this decision plays out more favourably than demonetisation did," Deora noted.

New Delhi: Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia is the latest among a host of Congress leaders ditching the party line on the modification of Article 370 - granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir- and bifurcation of the former state.

He took to Twitter to express his support for the contentious move made by the Bharatiya Janta Party-led central government' s decision.

"I support the move on Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh and its full integration into union of India. Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our country’s interest and I support this," he tweeted.

  • I support the move on #JammuAndKashmir & #Ladakh and its full integration into union of India.

    Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our country’s interest and I support this.

    — Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) August 6, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Scindia was preceded by another Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan said that Article 370 is a provision that eventually had to be revoked.

"Because we're in Opposition, people expect us to oppose. But in my opinion, the decision to revoke Article 370, that was anyway temporary and had to be revoked, is the right decision," she said.

Ranjan added, "This is the right move by the government as it integrates Kashmiris with the other people of the nation. Kashmiri women used to be denied property rights if they married a person from another state. With the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, these issues would be addressed."

These statements have come at a day when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the “abuse of executive power” by the ruling BJP and said the move would have grave implications for India’s national security.

Gandhi’s statement, voicing strong opposition to the way the government went about repealing the special status, comes at a time when an internal rift in the Congress has come to the fore over the stand taken by the party on the crucial issue.

“This nation is made by its people, not plots of land,” he wrote on Twitter, spelling out what the party line would be going forward.

“National integration isn’t furthered by unilaterally tearing apart J&K, imprisoning elected representatives and violating our Constitution. This nation is made by its people, not plots of land,” he said.

  • National integration isn’t furthered by unilaterally tearing apart J&K, imprisoning elected representatives and violating our Constitution. This nation is made by its people, not plots of land.

    This abuse of executive power has grave implications for our national security.

    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 6, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Going against the party's stand, senior Congress leaders Janardan Dwivedi and Deepender Hooda also have voiced support to the move.

In an embarrassment to the Congress, another leader Anil Shastri said the grand old party should sense the mood of the people before taking a stand, noting that they were with the government on this.

Shastri also said on Twitter, "Congress must sense the mood of the people and then take a stand. The people are totally with the government on this issue. We opposed Mandal and lost UP and Bihar and should not risk now of losing India."

  • We should support the revocation of Article 370 as it allows J&K to be fully integrated with India & is right for the country & the state. It would have been better if a more collaborative & consultative approach had been taken by the BJP govt for its revocation.

    — Anil K Shastri (@anilkshastri) August 6, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">

Janardan Dwivedi welcomed the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying even though it came late, a historical mistake had been corrected.

The Congress has been a divided house after the government on Monday moved to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir by amending Article 370 with a presidential decree, and turn the state into two Union Territories, which would give the Centre all the power in the region.

Congress leader Deepender Hooda, the son of former Haryanaa Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had also welcomed the government move and so had another leader Jaiveer Shergill.

Hooda contended that the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir "is in the interest of national integrity".

Congress MLA from Rae Bareli Aditi Singh also said on Twitter, "United we stand! Jai Hind. #Article370."

When someone reminded her that she was a Congress leader, Singh replied back, saying, "Main ek Hindustani hoon (I am an Indian)." She termed it a historic decision and urged people not to politicise it. Singh's Assembly segment -- Rae Bareli Sadar -- is a part of UPA chairperson and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency.

This was in sharp contrast to the stand taken by the party in Parliament. Azad and Chidambaram had called the repeal of special status as "murder of democracy" in Rajya Sabha, while Manish Tewari called it a constitutional travesty in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

While senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad and P Chidambaram vehemently opposed the move in Rajya Sabha on Monday, senior party leaders, including Janardan Dwivedi, a Congress veteran and Gandhi family loyalist, took a different stand.

However, Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora said it was "very unfortunate" that Article 370 was being converted into a "liberal vs conservative debate".

"Parties should put aside ideological fixations & debate what's best for India's sovereignty and federalism, peace in J&K, jobs for Kashmiri youth and justice for Kashmiri Pandits," he said in a tweet.

  • Abolishing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution could well be dubbed Modi Sarkar 2.0’s demonetisation moment.

    For the sake of peace & development in Jammu & Kashmir, I hope this decision plays out more favourably than demonetisation did

    — Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) August 5, 2019 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data=" ">
"Abolishing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution could well be dubbed Modi Sarkar 2.0's demonetisation moment. For the sake of peace and development in Jammu & Kashmir, I hope this decision plays out more favourably than demonetisation did," Deora noted.
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PRI GEN NAT
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ART 370-SHAH
Shah emerges stronger after delivering on BJP's agenda
         New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) After securing his legacy as the most successful BJP president, Home Minister Amit Shah has emerged stronger in the country's political landscape, especially within his party and its Hindutva allies, by successfully delivering on his organisation's core promise of revoking provisions of Article 370.
         His successful piloting of the move to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status is undoubtedly the highlight of his ministerial stint since the Modi 2.0 government assumed office on May 30.
          Parliament's nod to the bills to strengthen anti-terror laws during the ongoing session has also bolstered his image on two planks close to the saffron parivar: Hindutva and national security.
         After Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah is getting the credit for bringing to fruition a cause for which the BJP ideologue Syama Prasad Mookerjee died in a Jammu and Kashmir jail in 1953.
         While BJP leaders were expectedly fulsome in praise of Shah in their speeches in Parliament, with some likening him to first home minister Sardar Patel, speakers from even parties outside the NDA fold like the YSR Congress were no less enthusiastic in lauding him.
         Party leaders said it was also to the credit of Shah, who remains at the helm in the BJP, that the government was successful in shattering any pretence of the opposition unity by winning over a number of non-allies like the BJD, YSR Congress and BSP.
          An astute political strategist, Shah framed the debate on resolutions and bills on Jammu and Kashmir around the theme of national security and unity, resulting in a party like Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, a bitter BJP critic, ending up supporting the treasury benches.
          Since joining the Modi 2.0 government, Shah has enhanced his reputation as a champion of Hindutva ideology.
         As the BJP president, he was an enthusiastic proponent of his party's contentious core agenda, which also includes building Ram temple in Ayodhya and enacting uniform civil code.
         It gladdened the hearts of the party's ever-broadening base but the government's lack of a majority in Rajya Sabha meant that the Narendra Modi dispensation could make no meaningful move in fulfilling these promises.
         After playing a key role in charting his party's path to power in many states and a bigger majority in the Lok Sabha in the recent general election, Shah joined the government and spearheaded its exercise on this front.
         He has been instrumental in winning over leaders from the opposition, bagging support from non-allied parties and turning the numbers on their head in Rajya Sabha.
         On paper, the BJP-led NDA still lacks a majority in the Upper House but the bill to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two states received 125 votes in favour and only 61 against it on Monday.
          Political pundits say Shah has used a skilful mix of ideological firmness, unlimited political imagination and realpolitik flexibility to keep the BJP ahead of the game. PTI KR
AAR
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Last Updated : Aug 6, 2019, 9:59 PM IST

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