Special status gone, J&K (Reorganisation) Bill passed in RS

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill has been passed by the Rajya Sabha on Monday with 125 members voted in favor of the bill and 61 voted against the bill.

Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, that gave special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, was removed by the Centre through a Presidential order, Union Home Minister informed the Parliament on Monday.

Amit Shah moved a resolution in Rajya Sabha which stated that all clauses of Article 370 would no longer be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.

President Ram Nath Kovind issued Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019 which comes into force "at once", and shall "supersede the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954". "All the provisions of the Constitution" shall apply in relation to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, it said.

Read | With the removal of Article 370, what has Jammu and Kashmir lost?

Amit Shah also said Jammu and Kashmir would be 'reorganised' (read bifurcated) --Ladakh and Jammu Kashmir would be two separate Union Territories from now on. Jammu and Kashmir would have a legislature (not the Constituent Assembly Jammu and Kashmir had so far) but not Ladakh.

All hell broke loose in the House soon after Shah made that announcement with Opposition leaders volubly protesting the move.

There were indications in the last few days that the Centre might go for this historic move as additional forces were continuously pushed into the Valley, tourists were asked to leave and large gatherings forbidden.

At midnight on Sunday, three of Jammu and Kashmir's most prominent politicians — Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and Sajjad Lone were put under house arrest.

Internet services and mobile services were suspended and Section 144 was also imposed from midnight.

Read | Kashmir turmoil: Omar, Mufti under house arrest; internet snapped

Here are the highlights:

06:51 pm: J&K Reorganisation bill passed in Rajya Sabha.

06:43 pm: Voting on J&K Reorganisation Bill underway in Rajya Sabha. Due to technical issue, voting will be through voting slips.

06:27 pm: Amit Shah said, "Several MPs have asked how long will J&K remain a Union Territory- I want to assure them when situation gets normal & the right time comes, we are ready to make Jammy and Kashmir a state again. It may take a little longer, but it will become a state once again, one day."

06:26 pm: Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019, passed in Rajya Sabha. This Bill is to implement 10% Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota in Jammu and Kashmir.

06:11 pm: Amit Shah said, "Jawaharlal Nehru Ji also said 370 ghiste-ghiste ghis jaayegi, magar 370 ko itne jatan se sambhalke rakha, 70 saal hue, ghisi nahi. Everyone accepts it's a temporary provision, but can temporary continue for 70 yrs, when will it go, how will it go?

06:09 pm: "You stand here in Parliament and say bloodshed will happen in Kashmir. What message are you sending to the valley? You want them to continue living in 18th century system,don't people there have right to live in 21st century?Those who provoke have kids studying in London and US," Shah addressed in Rajya Sabha.

06: 03 pm:  Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "Inter-state marriages are taking place. If a Kashmiri girl marries a man from Odisha, will she and her child get any rights in Jammu and Kashmir? You are happy that inter-state marriages are taking place, even though there is no law, but set them free, Jammu and Kashmir will mix with India in true sense."

06:02 pm: Amit Shah said, "Ayushman Bharat scheme is there but where are the hospitals? Where are doctors and nurses? (in Kashmir) Those supporting 35A please tell me which famous doctor will go and live there and practice? He can't own land or house nor his children can vote."

05: 49 pm: Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha said, "We don't believe in politics of religion. Do only Muslims live in Kashmir? What do you want to say? Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists all live there. If 370 is good, it is good for all and if it is bad, then it is bad for all."

05:48 pm: Shashi Tharoor, senior leader of Congress, on Article 370, said, "This is not the Indian democracy we have cherished for more than seven decades.The assurances that successive rulers of India including those of BJP have given people and leaders of Kashmir and the international community now stand torn into shreds."

05:47 pm: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha: "Home Minister has assured that discussion on the resolution (to revoke Article 370) will be held tomorrow and he will answer all the questions. So, there is no reason to walk out of the house."

05:46 pm: Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha, "I want to tell the people of Jammu and Kashmir the damage Articles 370 & 35A did to the state. It is because of these sections that democracy was never fully implemented, corruption increased in the state, so that no development could take place."

05:42 pm: TMC walks out of Rajya Sabha; MP Derek O'Brien says, "From 11 this morning, we have been seeing procedural harakiri. We can't see this anymore, the constitutional immorality."

05:29 pm: Home Minister Amit Shah tables the Constitution (application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019 in Lok Sabha.

04:40 pm: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said, "Today we should think about why we are here and what should democracy involve. I know the Bill will be passed as you have manufactured a majority, therefore, we can do nothing about it.While you call this a historic moment, only history will judge whether it was historic or not."

04:00 pm: Veteran politician and senior BJP leader L K Advani calls the move pf scrapping Article 370 as "bold".

03:53 pm: P Chidambaram of Congress in Rajya Sabha: "Momentarily you may think you have scored a victory, but you are wrong and history will prove you to be wrong. Future generations will realize what a grave mistake this house is making today. "

03:45 pm: Nationalist Congress Party has abstained from voting on this bill.

03:40 pm: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said, "Constitution of India had been rewritten without following any legal provisions. Such a historic decision should not have been taken and pushed through in this arbitrary manner."

03:35 pm: Saurabh Bhardwaj of AAP:  "We support decisions that are taken by the Centre in the country's interest and we oppose if decisions are not in the country's interest. It is not right to compare Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir's overall situation is way different from Delhi's."

03:25 pm: Ramgopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party said, "If you wanted to remove article 370 then you should have done jus that. Why did you abolish statehood and made it a UT? World history is witness that any attempt to suppress people through force has always failed. You should have taken people into confidence."

03:15 pm: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu supports Union Government's decision to revoke Article 370.

03:00 pm: NSA Ajit Doval is expected to visit Kashmir valley today along with other senior security officials to review the situation on ground. NSA Doval had earlier visited Srinagar in last week of July before the implementation of decision to revoke Article 370.

02:30 pm: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress in Rajya Sabha: Shameful that you have turned J&K into a non entity by making a Lt Governor there, so that you can appoint even a peon or a clerk, sitting in Delhi.

01:05 pm: Indian Army and Indian Air Force have been put on high alert, following revoking of Article 370 and other decisions announced by Government of India.

1.00 pm: Shiv Sena said the government’s move has fulfilled the dreams of Bal Thackeray and Atal Behari Vajpayee.

12.45 pm: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said Kashmir was ready for the “long and tough battle ahead” after the government scrapped Article 370. “This unilateral decision by the government is a total betrayal of trust. The government resorted to deceit, stealth in recent weeks to lay ground for these disastrous decisions,” he said.

12.30 pm: Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the government's move on Article 370 was monumental towards national integration.

12:08 pm: BJP leader Ram Madhav lauded the government's decision on Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and said the martyrdom of its ideologue Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee for complete integration of the state into India has been "honoured".

Read | Martyrdom of Dr Mukherjee for complete integration of J&K honoured: Ram Madhav

12:05 pm: Notes of despair rose from the Valley with former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti tweeting that India had failed Kashmir in keeping its promises. “Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy,” she said on the government’s move on Article 370.

Read | Kashmir turmoil: 'India has failed Kashmir,' say Mufti, Omar

Foreseeing “catastrophic consequences for the subcontinent," Mehbooba said: “This unilateral decision of the government to scrap Article 370 is illegal, unconstitutional; will make India occupational force in J&K.” She said India wants the territory of J&K by terrorising its people.

12:02 pm: Amit Shah replied to Ghulam Nabi Azad: “Under the umbrella of Article 370 three families looted Jammu and Kashmir for years. Leader of Opposition (Ghulam Nabi Azad) said Article 370 connected Jammu and Kashmir to India, it's not true. Maharaja Hari Singh signed Jammu and Kashmir Instrument of Accession on 27 Oct 1947, Article 370 came in 1954.”

11:55 am: Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “I strongly condemn the act of 2-3 MPs (PDP's Mir Fayaz and Nazir Ahmed Laway who attempted to tear the Constitution). We stand by the Constitution of India. Hum Hindustan ke samvidhaan ki raksha ke liye jaan ki baazi laga denge, but today BJP has murdered the Constitution.”

11:50 am: PDP's Mir Fayaz and Nazir Ahmed Laway were asked to go out of the house (Rajya Sabha) after they attempted to tear the Constitution.

11: 42 am: Amit Shah said, “Jammu and Kashmir to be a Union Territory with legislature and Ladakh to be Union Territory without legislature.”

11:27 am: Here is the Constitution (application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order 2019 that revokes Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

11:20 am: Resolution to revoke Article 370 from J&K moved in Rajya Sabha.

11:12 am: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “I am ready for discussions by the Leader of the Opposition, the entire Opposition and members of the ruling party over the Kashmir issue. I am ready to answer all questions.”

11:10 am: Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “Entire Valley is under curfew. Political leaders including three former chief ministers are under house arrest. There is a war like situation in the state, so this should be discussed on priority.”

11:00 am: Rajya Sabha session begins.

10:55 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Parliament.

10:40 am: Congress leaders Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel at the Parliament premises for the meeting of Congress MPs.

Photo: ANI | Twitter

10:37 am: Latest visuals from Leh. People carry out their daily chores normally. Classes in schools, colleges and other educational institutions resumed normally today. Restrictions under Section 144 CrPC have not been imposed in the region.

10:35 am: Latest visuals from Doda; security forces have been deployed in the area. Schools reopened normally today in Leh, classes resuming in colleges and other educational institutions too.

10:28 am: Leaders of Opposition parties met in Parliament complex to discuss the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The parties have also given adjournment notices in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Leaders of political parties including the CPI, CPI(M), RJD, AAP, TMC, DMK attended the meeting.

10:25 am: Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrives at Parliament. He will speak in Rajya Sabha at 11 am and in Lok Sabha at 12 pm today.

Read | Amid Kashmir turmoil, Union Cabinet meeting at Modi's residence concludes

10:15 am: Union Cabinet meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg concludes.

9.30 am: Cabinet meets ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's address in Parliament.