Jammu and Kashmir: Telugu parties back Centre on scrapping of Article 370
Hyderabad: The TRS, YSRC and Telugu Desam supported on Monday, the scrapping of Article 370 and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir. While YSRC and TD members participated in the debate, TRS members did not.
TRS MP B. Lingaiah Yadav said that all six TRS Rajya Sabha members voted in favour of the bills.
TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu took to Twitter to welcome the Centre’s decision to scrap Article 370 which gave special status to J&K. Former MP and TRS leader K. Kavitha said in a tweet, “In this moment of monumental change being made with respect to the reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir and Article 370 my prayers are with the people of J&K. Hope they will be safe and soon peace will prevail over Kashmir (sic).”
YSRC MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy said that Mr Shah had taken a bold decision. “Hats off to Amit Shah for introducing historical bills,” he said and called him a “modern Vallabhbhai Patel.” The bills were pending for a long time due to the Congress he said, and asked, “How can a country have two constitutions?”
Congress MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao protested by sitting beside Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu’s chair in protest. TD MP K. Ravindrakumar said that the party welcomed the Centre’s decision and appealed to it to take steps to ensure that people live happily. He said that all people in the country should have equal rights.
Nizamabad BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind said that there was a “festive atmosphere” from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. “The soul of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee will rest in peace today along with those of the thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in Kashmir,” he said.
The decision has come as a counterblast to the TRS and MIM who, he claimed, had said that J&K was not an integral part of India.
Karimnagar BJP MP Bandi Sanjay said that the dreams of Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee of ‘one country, one Constitution, had come true. The BJP had promised this in its election manifesto, Mr Sanjay said. Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) president Prof. M. Kodandaram said that the Centre did not say how Article 370 had become an issue and its revocation was not the solution to the problem. BJP MLA Raja Singh said that the arty’s next target was construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.
