The discussion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday centered around two Bills related to Jammu and Kashmir, transforming into a discourse on the abrogation of Article 370. The government defended its actions, while the Opposition raised questions.
During the debate, TMC MP Sougata Roy suggested that the government revoked Article 370 to fulfill the political demand of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, emphasizing the need for one nation to have a single flag, Prime Minister, and Constitution. In response, Home Minister Amit Shah argued that previous regimes had made a mistake, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi corrected it based on the country’s collective will. Shah asserted that the correct position is “one flag, one PM, and one Constitution” for the entire country.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal criticized Roy for recalling Mookerjee without acknowledging his sacrifice, referring to Mookerjee’s death under arrest in J&K after entering the state without a permit. Meanwhile, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur highlighted the improvement in the security situation, noting a decrease in incidents like stone-pelting against security forces in Kashmir.
Congress leader Manish Tiwari argued that while Article 3 of the Constitution allows for the reorganization of a state or alterations to its boundaries and name, it does not grant Parliament the authority to convert a state into a Union Territory. Tiwari contended that Parliament should have consulted the state legislatures, but as there was no legislature in J&K at the time, the process was not followed. Tiwari further claimed that the proclamation imposing President’s Rule in J&K in 2018 revoked specific provisions of Article 3, enabling the conversion of the state into a Union Territory without consulting the state legislature.
In response, Amit Shah pointed out that Congress governments had previously issued proclamations for President’s Rule that also revoked these provisions to Article 3, arguing that it was necessary for passing the state’s Budget. Tiwari countered, stating that the revoked provisions were unrelated to the Budget and specifically pertained to how states could be reorganized.
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