New Delhi, Aug 5 (UNI) Known for pushing the muscular brand of nationalism, the Modi government on Monday fulfilled a long time held pledge of the Hindutva school of thought and took a major step and abolished the special status given to militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir.
The government also moved a bill proposing to divide the 'state of Jammu and Kashmir' into two regions and sought to deprive J&K the statehood status and make 'Kashmir and Jammu region' as a new Union Territory with a legislature.
The government issued a presidential decree which said that the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir will be henceforth called 'Legislative Assembly of the State'.
A Law Ministry notification under the title 'The Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) order, 2019, said that any references to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir shall be construed as including references to the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir acting on the advice of Council of Ministers.
The government bill also proposed to give UT status to Ladakh - with no legislature.
It goes without saying that the BJP’s political growth as reflected in 2019 general elections is also linked to a surge of nationalism which reached great heights after Prime Minister Modi had ordered aerial strike against Pakistan in February.
A special provision was granted to Jammu and Kashmir in 1949 giving the state major autonomy.
The Article 370 allowed the state to have its own Constitution, a separate flag and functional autonomy over all the matters except defence, foreign affairs and communications.
BJP MP from Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, welcomed the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370 and described the occasion as "the most Acchey Din" for the people of Ladakh region.
A Presidential order issued said that the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir will be henceforth called 'Legislative Assembly of the State'.
It further said that the new directive will come into force at once, and shall thereupon supersede the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954 as amended from time to time.
BJP patriarch and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who held the portfolio of Home during Vajpayee stint, said scrapping of the said Article has been a 'part of BJP’s core ideology since the days of Jan Sangh'.
'A historical wrong has been undone today ..........It had to go,' tweeted Arun Jaitley, former Defence and Finance Minister.
The RSS and the VHP also welcomed the government move.
'We congratulate the government for this bold initiative which was very much necessary in national interest including the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Everyone should welcome this notwithstanding any personal interests or political differences, ' said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in a tweet.
The political parties seemed to have changed their respective stance on the issue.
In a rather surprising missive on the micro blogging site, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal backed the government decision despite his known opposition to the BJP.
"Our chief Nitish Kumar is carrying forward the tradition of JP Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and George Fernandes. So, our party is not supporting the Bill moved in the Rajya Sabha today,' said K C Tyagi of JD (U), which is a constituent of the NDA.
While Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Ghulam Nabi Azad described the government move as
'catastrophic', the principal opposition party suffered in the Rajya Sabha when its chief whip Bhubaneswar Kalita resigned from the membership of the House opposing the party's stand on Article 370.
"Today's Congress is treading a path as if it wants to commit suicide and I do not want to be a party to this," Mr Kalita said adding "I will not follow the whip".
In the Lok Sabha, Congress and other opposition parties staged walkout saying the resolution brought in the House was not proper.
Former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said - 'Today is the black day in the Constitutional history of India. What the government has done is unprecedented.'
Sharing similar sentiment, Mehbooba Mufti, PDP chief, also tweeted saying - "Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy".
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