The Lok Sabha on Friday approved the extension of President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir for another six months, beginning July 3.
Home Minister Amit Shah assured the House that “democratic, free and fair Assembly elections will be held in the State by the year-end”.
Article 370 of the Constitution, which extends special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is “temporary in nature’’ and “not permanent,” he told the House.
“The Assembly in Jammu and Kashmir is not yet in existence, so I have brought a Bill to extend President’s rule for six months. The Election Commission has also held talks with the Central government and all political parties, and decided that it would be possible to hold elections at the end of this year,” Mr. Shah said.
Quota Bill
The Lok Sabha also cleared the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2019, to replace an ordinance issued by the previous government.
With this, people living along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir will get the benefit of reservation in direct recruitment, promotion and admission to professional courses on a par with those living along the Actual Line of Control (ALoC).
Hitting out at the Congress and the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Mr. Shah said it was because of them that a third of Jammu and Kashmir was not with India. “Who is responsible?” he asked, drawing a sharp reaction from the Congress members. The House witnessed disruptions over Mr. Shah naming Nehru.
‘A mistake’
Calling Kashmir a mistake made by the Congress and Nehru, he held them responsible for dividing the country on the basis of religion.
Mr. Shah asserted that his government had a “zero tolerance” policy towards terrorism. “We have spent ₹2,307 crore to upgrade the security apparatus in the State,” he said.
Continuing his attack on the Opposition party, he said Article 356 (President’s Rule) had so far been imposed 132 times, of which the Congress had used it 93 times to dismiss State governments.
He said his government withdrew the security of 919 people in the State as they faced no threat. During the tenure of President’s rule in J&K, terrorism had been tackled strongly and the State saw development on a number of fronts, including the conduct of panchayat elections
“Unwarranted”
Mr. Shah’s proposal to extend President’s rule in the State drew sharp remarks from the Opposition benches, including Manish Tewari from the Congress and N.K. Premachandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).
Both parliamentarians opposed the proposal saying there was not enough ground for the Union government to do so.
“Congress has handed a progressive State to succeeding governments in Jammu and Kashmir. It is the alliance of ideologically incompatible parties that is responsible for the state of affairs in Jammu and Kashmir, where President’s Rule is being sought so frequently,” Mr. Tewari said, referring to the alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
