Scrapping Of Article 370: Voices Of Consent And Dissent

New Delhi: There has been an overwhelming support to the scrapping of Article 370 from the ruling coalition partners in the Centre and outright rejection from the Opposition.

Mainstream political parties in the Kashmir valley have described the Centre’s move as a ‘catastrophic blunder’.

Pakistan has termed the move as an ‘illegal step’ and said it will exercise all options at its disposal, to counter India.

Here are some major reactions …

Opposing voices

1. Ghulam Nabi Azad (Congress)

The leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said the ruling BJP has ‘destroyed’ the state for vote bank politics.

“They have not just scrapped Article 370, Article 35-A, but also divided the state. This government has decapitated India. Jammu & Kashmir was the head of India… Jammu Kashmir ka tukde tukde kar diya (they have broken the state into pieces),” he said.

2. Mehbooba Mufti (PDP)
“Today, marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. The decision of J&K leadership to reject the two-nation theory in 1947 and  align with India has backfired. The Centre’s unilateral decision to scrap Article 370 is illegal and unconstitutional. It will make India an occupational force in J&K. It will have catastrophic consequences for the state,” she said.

3. Omar Abdullah (NC)
The scrapping of Article 370 is a betrayal of the trust that the people of Jammu & Kashmir had reposed in India when the state acceded to it in 1947. The abrogation of Article 370 will have far-reaching and dangerous consequences.

4. K C Tyagi (JD-U), NDA ally
“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. We have a different thinking. We want that Article 370 should not be revoked.”

5. Derek O Brian (TMC)
“Today is a black Monday. The BJP government has thrown the Constitution into the dustbin or it has been forgotten. Tomorrow, Bengal can become four states, or Odisha can become, what’s your lucky number, seven states. Or worse, you could become a union territory. What we saw was a mockery of Parliament.”

6. Shah Mehmood Qureshi (Pakistan foreign minister)
“The move to abolish Article 35A has left India’s so-called democratic face open to the world. The Kashmir leadership does not agree with India’s decision. India has resurrected the Kashmir problem with its decision,” he said.

He said his country will exercise all possible options to counter the “illegal steps”.

Voices of support

1. Arun Jaitley (BJP)
The scrapping of Article 370 is a monumental decision towards national integration. A wrong historical decision has been undone today. Article 35A came through the back door without following the procedure under Article 368 of the Constitution of India. It had to go,” he said in his blog posting.

2. Sushma Swaraj (former external affairs minister)

“Its a bold and historic decision. We salute our great India — One India”.

3. Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena)
“With the revocation of Article 370, the country has become fully independent in the true sense. The Centre’s move is the fulfillment of the dream of Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray and late Atal Bihari Vajpayee”.

4. Satish Chandra Mishra (BSP)
“Our party gives complete support. We want that the Bill be passed. Our party is not expressing any opposition to Article 370 Bill and the other Bill.”