In a major embarrassment to the Congress party, prominent leader and former Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has crossed the party line and supported the Centre’s move to revoke Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories. Scindia’s stand on the issue is in contradiction to that of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.
“I support the move on Jammu and Kashmir and 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,” Scindia wrote on Twitter.
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
Earlier on Monday, the former Congress MP restrained from outrightly opposing the government on Article 370 and asked it to address the concerns of the Opposition leaders. “The uncertainty and fear only serves to worsen the situation. Govt must be open, transparent, and take people and opposition leaders into confidence!”
Even as the Congress party has strongly opposed the bills, a number of party leaders across the country have gone against the party’s stand in Parliament.
Scindia has joined the league of senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi, Deepender Hooda, Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora and Congress MLA from Rae Bareli Aditi Singh who supported the Centre’s move on Kashmir.
Senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi welcomed the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was a matter of national satisfaction that a “mistake” made at the time of Independence was corrected.
His party colleague Deepender Hooda contended that the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir “is in the interest of national integrity”.
“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,” Deora 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 and development in Jammu & Kashmir, I hope this decision plays out more favourably than demonetisation did,” Deora noted.
Congress’s chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Bhubaneshwar Kalita quit his membership in the Upper House of Parliament over the issue after the party asked him to issue a whip to all members for opposing the bill.