Democracy Has Been Murdered: From Congress To DMK, Here’s How Various Leaders Criticised The Modi Govt’s Scrapping Of Article 370

Article 370
(L-R) KC Tyagi, Vaiko, Ghulam Nabi Azad

The scrapping of Article 370 and the “reorganisation” of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh — has been met with mixed reactions from the political class. While parties like Shiv Sena, BJD, AIADMK and even unlikely ones like AAP, YSR Congress Party and TDP supported the move, it has also found stiff opposition from other quarters.

KC Tyagi of the Janata Dal (United), an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said: “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 different thinking. We want that Article 370 should not be revoked.”

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Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Vaiko opposed the Bill on Article 370, and said it is “murder of democracy”.

He said, “You have played with the sentiments of people of Kashmir. When additional army personnel were deployed there, I was worried. Kashmir should not become Kosovo, East Timor and South Sudan.”

Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar said that the Centre should have taken the mainstream political leaders of the Valley into confidence.

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Congress party MP Ghulam Nabi Azad vehemently criticised the move. He said, “A border state, which is culturally, geographically, historically and politically different was bound together by Article 370. Drunk in power and to get votes, the BJP government scrapped 3-4 things. They’ve cut off the head of the country. Political parties will fight and stand with Jammu and Kashmir.”

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said, “The govt has illegally disintegrated Jammu and Kashmir. This will set a precedent and allow the govt to disintegrate any state as per its will, and we will not stand by this.”

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said that the Constitution had been rewritten without following any legal provisions. He further said, “Such a historic decision should not have been taken and pushed through in this arbitrary manner.”

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief MK Stalin too condemned the government’s move. He said that democracy had been murdered with this act. “Without consulting people of Jammu and Kashmir, Article 370 has been taken away. Democracy has been murdered. AIADMK is also supporting the decision, which is condemnable.”

Swaraj India chief Yogesh Yadav called the move “unconstitutional”. Taking to Twitter, Yadav said, “Today’s decision violates all the principles invoked by (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee: insaniyat, jamhuriat, kashmiriyat,” adding, “This unconstitutional move plays into the hands of separatists and Pak sponsored terrorists, besides reneging on the idea of India and the promise to the people of Kashmir.”

Also Read:  Article 370 To Be Removed, Jammu And Kashmir To Be ‘Reorganised’

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