Article 370 Nullified, No Special Status for J & K!

The BJP led union government has scrapped Article 370 of the Constitution that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. “It shall come into force at once," the government said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier today announced that the government has decided to repeal Article 370. He also said that the government has decided to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, which will have a legislature, and Ladakh, which will be without a legislature.

As soon as the announcement was made, a huge uproar is witnessed in the Rajya Sabha by the opposition. Right after Amit Shah's announcement, the Union government has released a Gazette notification and within few minutes President of India Ram Nath Kovind has approved it. “Under Article 370 there is a provision that the President may by public notification declare that this article shall cease to be operative… from such date as he may specify… Because there is President’s rule, all decisions of the Assembly will be taken by the House and we can pass the order with the majority," Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha.

The Order has passed in accordance with the President's power under Article 370(3), that states, "Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this article, the President may, by public notification, declare that this article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may specify: Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification."

“What did J&K get for acceding to India? Another partition along communal lines? Our special status isn’t a gift bestowed upon us. It’s a right guaranteed by the same Parliament. A contract entered into by J&K leadership and India. Today the very same contract has been violated," former J&K chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, opposing the decision of the Centre.