Lok Sabha discusses J&K bills for reservation and reorganisation

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha saw a heated debate between the Opposition and treasury benches during the discussions on the two bills on Jammu and Kashmir that the BJP introduced on Tuesday, with union home minister Amit Shah asserting that ‘one flag, one PM, one Constitution’ was not merely a political slogan for the party. He was responding to TMC’s Saugata Ray who said the need of the hour is to hold elections.

The BJP brought in the two bills – the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill 2023 which provides for reservation in government posts and seats in professional institutions for reserved categories, while the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023 seeks to increase the total number of seats in the Assembly from 83 to 90, while reserving seven SC seats for and nine ST seats. 

Ray said that the BJP abrogated Article 370 for political gains. "Earlier, Union Territories were converted into States and here, Amit Shah converted the states into Union Territories. What have you achieved? If there is no Legislative Assembly, then why are you making the changes," Ray said.

"They abrogated Article 370 just to fulfil the BJP’s promise of ‘Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan’ (one PM, one flag and one Constitution). This was the slogan at the time of (BJP founder) Syama Prasad," he added.

In response, Shah said Article 370 in itself was unconstitutional. "How can one country have two Prime Ministers? Two Constitutions or two flags? Whosoever did it was wrong. Narendra Modi has corrected it. Your approval or disagreement does not matter. The entire country wanted it (the abrogation of Article 370). We have been saying this since 1950, it is not merely a political slogan,” he asserted. 

Congress leader Manish Tewari said while the abrogation took place in August 2019, the process had begun in December 2018 when President’s Rule was imposed. "Keeping in mind Constitutional ethics, there should be no amendments on a law whose constitutionality has been in question," Tewari said. He said that Article 3 of the Constitution has no provision of formation of a state as was done in the case of J&K. 

In response, Shah said that the tradition of imposing President’s Rule began under the Congress and the BJP called for the Rule to pass the state budget. “It is a requirement,” he said.