Parliament updates: J&K Reorganisation Bill 2019 passed 125-61 in Rajya Sabha; Upper house adjourned till 11 am tomorrow

Lok Sabha: Discussion underway on Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2019 

Meanwhile, in Lok Sabha, the discussion is currently being held in the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill 2019. YSRCP MP Vanga Geeta Vishwanath pointed out the paucity of judges in both lower and upper courts and sought that the government take immediate steps to fill the vacancies.

J&K Reorganisation Bill 2019 passed 125-61; house adjourned till 11 am tomorrow

The Rajya Sabha voted in favour of the J&K Reorganisation Bill 2019 with 125 votes in favour and 61 votes in against. Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu then adjourned the house till 11 am Tuesday.

Voting underway in Rajya Sabha on J&K Reorganisation Bill 2019

Voting has begun for the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill in the Rajya Sabha. The voting was expected to take place electronically, however, it was cancelled due to a technical problem. Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu has now asked for voting via slips.

RS passes Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Second Amendment) Bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha. As this article notes, the bill “seeks to extend the 10 percent quota to economically weaker sections to the state, which has special constitutional provisions. After the bill is passed by the Parliament, all residents of the state with income below Rs 8 lakh per annum would benefit from a ten percent quota.”

‘Eliminating terrorism from Kashmir impossible till Article 370 exists’: Amit Shah

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah further said, “Terrorism cannot be eliminated from Jammu and Kashmir till Article 370 is there…More than 41,400 people have been killed due to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Whose policy is responsible for the deaths?”

Major tourism companies couldn’t go to J&K due to Article 370, says Amit Shah 

Speaking on how the provision has affected tourism, Amit Shah said, “Due to Article 370, major tourism companies could set up their businesses in Jammu and Kashmir. If these companies can be set up in the region, it will provide employment to youth. It will also boost tourism.”

Article 370 prevented democracy from blossoming in J&K, says home minister

The home minister, pointing out the negative effects of Article 370, further said in the Rajya Sabha, “It is because of Article 370 that democracy was not allowed to blosson in Jammu and Kashmir. The provision only encouraged corruption and allowed it to proliferate.”

Amit Shah says Article 370 did not benefit Jammu and Kashmir’s youth

Amit Shah, seeking to address the concerns of the youth in Jammu and Kashmir, said, “Will Article 370 lead to better schools? Will it lead to building of toilets? Will it lead to increase in your salaries? If these had been true, then there may have been reason to retain the provision.”

Article 370 will lead to end of bloodshed in Kashmir, says Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha

" I want to make it clear in front of the House that due to the removal of Article 370, there will be an end to long bloodshed in Kashmir: Home Minister Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha. 

He further said that the provision is responsible for poverty in the state, and that it is anti-women.

Amit Shah introduces Jammu and Kashmir resolution in Lok Sabha

Home minister Amit Shah has introduced the resolution on Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha. The resolution is officially titled the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019.

Lok Sabha takes up Surrogacy bill

Stating that in the recent years India has unfortunately emerged as the hub for surrogacy, 

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday said the bill which seeks to ban commercial surrogacy was “the need of the hour”.

Moving the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passage, Vardhan said that “A rough estimates says there are about 2,000-3000 surrogacy clinics running illegally in the country and a few thousand foreign couples resort to surrogacy practise within India and the whole issue is thorougly unregulated.”

The bill, he said “was the need of the hour.”

It seeks to ban commercial surrogacy.

Besides, the bill says that only close relatives will be permitted to act as surrogates to infertile couples for “ethical altruistic” reasons. “There have been reports concerning unethical practices, abandonment of children born out of surrogacy and exploitation of surrogate mothers,” the minister said.

PTI

‘Why should Kashmiris be deprived of opportunities,’ asks Prakash Javadekar

Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar said in the Rajya Sabha, “Why should the people of Kashmir be deprived of opportunities that are available to others? People want peace and progress.”

‘Article 370 was not introduced suddenly, like bringing out rabbit from hat’: Nirmala Sitharaman

Sitharaman further said, “It is something the country has been waiting for the last 70 years. Even our manifesto mentioned the need to abrogate Article 370. So, it is not something we brought out suddenly like a rabbit from a magic hat.”

Nirmala Sitharaman says special status to J&K led to ‘gross injustice’ to women

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “Even today, girls born in Jammu and Kashmir are denied their rights if they marry outside the state. This is gross injustice, and it had never been addressed before. I was hoping that at least for this reason, Opposition parties would support the move.”

Jammu and Kashmir’s head chopped off; identity lost: Ghulam Nabi Azad on Kashmir

Some opposition parties termed the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two union territories as a “black blot”, with Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Monday charging the state’s head, considered as India’s crown, has been “chopped off” and its identity removed.

Various parties like the Congress, TMC, DMK, NCP, RJD and left parties opposed the said resolution as well as a bill to bifurcate the state into two union territories.

Opposing the move, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “I had never imagined that the head of the state which is India’s crown will be chopped off”

“You have made light of the state of J & K,” he said, charging it was a ‘matter of shame’ that the Centre had reduced the state to a non-entity with Lt Governor’s

rule.

PTI

Kapil Sibal says Sardar Patel was ready to give Kashmir to Pakistan, sparks protests

In remarks that sparked protests in the Rajya Sabha, Congres MP Kapil Sibal said, “Sardar Patel had brought in Article 370. He was ready to give Kashmir to Pakistan. However, he was clear that Junagarh must acede to India.”

At the time of independence, while Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim-majority princely state that was ruled by a Hindu, Junagarh was a Hindu-majority princely state ruled by a Muslim.

He further said, “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.”

In LS, Hema Malini says Surrogacy Regulation Bill aimed at curbing unethical practices

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha is discussing the Surrogacy Regulation Bill. BJP MP Hema Malini said, “There have been reports about unethical practices, and abandonment of children born from surrogacy. To address these concerns, the govternment has come up with this bill.”

Modi’s govt’s move amounts to ‘constitutional monstrosity,’ says P Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader and former home minister P Chidambaram alleged that the Modi dispensation’s move amounted to “constitutional monstrosity” and the decision marks the “beginning of the disintegration of India if the government continues on this path”.

Flanked by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and other Opposition leaders, Chidambaram told reporters outside Parliament, “We anticipated a misadventure, but did not think in our wildest dreams that they will take such a catastrophic step.”

PTI

‘For heaven’s sake, don’t dismember J&K,’ Chidambaram tells govt

Chidambaram further said, “What you are doing today sends a very, very wrong signal. As far as dismembering Jammu and Kashmir is concerned…for heaven’s sake, don’t do it. It is one state, and it came to us as one state. Doing so will be monumental blunder.”

‘Govt reducing states to colonies’: P Chidambaram

In sharply-worded remarks, Chidambaram, who was earlier the Union home minister, has said, “The duty of the Rajya Sabha is to protect the rights of the states. However, we reducing states merely to municipal administrations. Today, you (government) have reduced states to colonies.”

He further asked, “How can you use Article 370 to modify Article 370? It can only be used to modify other parts of the Constitution. By doing this, you are unleashing forces that you cannot control.

‘Black day for India,’ says P Chidambaram

Congress MP P Chidambaram has begun his address in the Rajya Sabha. In his opening remarks, he said, “This is a black day for India. I don’t expect the treasury benches to be convinced by my arguments. But history will prove you (government) to be wrong.”

‘We are only completing work that you started’: MoS Jitendra Singh to Congress

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, MoS in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said, “I cannot understand why the Congress is opposing this bill. We have only completed the work that you started. Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said that Article 370 is a temporary provision. Gulzarilal Nanda, who was home minister during the Lal Bahadur Shastri regime, had also said at the time that the time to scrap Article 370 has come.”

AAI (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha

Meanwhile in Lo Sabha, the Secretary General said that the Lok Sabha has passed the AAI (Amendment) Bill, agreeing to the amendments made by the Rajya Sabha to the Motor Vehicles Bill, and the National Medical Commission Bill.

Article 370 was a miscarriage of history: MoS Jitendra Singh

Minister of State (MoS) Jitendra Singh said in the Parliament that Article 370 was a miscarriage of history and this atonement (repeal of the article) of was needed.

‘Why was it necessary to make Jammu and Ladakh a UT? What was the hurry?’ asks Ram Gopal Yadav

SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav asks why the government did not consult stakeholders. “You could’ve just scrapped Article 370, why was it necessary to make it the state a Union Territory,” he said in Rajya Sabha. He also took a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party asking them why they are supporting the bill though thet cried every day due to Delhi’s Lt. Governor.

Alleging that “BJP doesnt care of what happens in Kashmir and only wants to chest-thump”, he asked Amit Shah what the hurry was in bringing the legislation in this way.

AAP supports govt: MP says ready to have LG rule but not ready to allow attack on India’s sovereignty 

AAP MP Sushil Kumar Gupta, who spoke after Derek O’Brien said in response to his address citing oppression by LGs saying that the Aam Aadmi Party is ready to take the rule of a Lieutenant Governor but not ready to sacrifice the unity and integrity of the nation. He hoped that this decision of the government will help drive out the terrorists from the Valley, ensure peace and prosperity of the people and allow people from across the country to go and do trade there.

‘This is what the Nazis did to Jews in 1942, we will fight this everyday,’ says TMC MP Derek O’Brien

Derek O’Brien said called the day a “Black Monday” saying he doesn’t condone the tearing up of the Constitution. “There is President’s rule in J&K, and you brought this in. The Constitution has been either forgotten or thrown into the dustbin,” he alleged. 

“Tomorrow Bengal can become four States, or Odisha can become, what’s your lucky number, seven states? he asked the government. “What we saw was a mockery of Parliament claiming that members got the revised list of business after the resolution was moved. “We will fight this everyday in the Parliament and outside,” he stated. 

“This is being called the ‘final solution’ by the right-wing on social media. This was what the Nazis did to Jews in 1942,” he remarked.

You have made J&K a ’non-entity’, Ghulam Nabi Azad lashes out at Centre

Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “It is a shame that you’ve made Jammu and Kashmir a non-entity…You’ve destroyed the history of a state.”

“We went from Prime Minister to Chief Minister, now we’re at Lt. Governor. You’ve made the Governor a clerk. You’ve made Jammu and Kashmir a non-entity. Bring this to your State and see what happens, Azad told Amit Shah. “Don’t be intoxicated with power,” he told the government.

Never thought this would happen to Jammu and Kashmir: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad said he thought the House would be discussing the J&K Reservation Bill, but now that discussion is pointless. He said that he never thought this would happen with the state of Jammu and Kashmir. “You could’ve brought the Bill after the Assembly election, he said. “This state is the head of our country and today that head has been cut off… government is playing with unity and integrity of state for votes, he alleged.

Lone TDP MP in Rajya Sabha expresses support

Telugu Desam Party’s Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar lauded the Reorganisation Bill saying that this will relieve the people of Jammu and Kashmir from all tensions they’ve borne over six decades. “By implementing this provision, they will be provided equal opportunities as those granted to the other people of the country.”

Asom Gana Parishad supports govt

Asom Gana Parishad supports the resolutions on Article 370 moved by the home minister Amit Shah.

‘Govt has set dangerous precedence’: DMK 

DMK MP called the proposal “unconstitutional and unwarranted”. He quoted the Supreme Court verdict saying that Article 370 is permanent. He asked if the Centre did public consultation or legislative members were consulted. “Tomorrow, you can convert any State into a Union Territory,” Siva remarked saying that the government’s move sets “dangerous precedence”. He urged the government to wait till the state legislature is constituted.

‘We have opened a way for Kashmir to become Palestine,’ RJD MP Manoj Jha

Rashtriya Janata Dal Manoj Jha said, “What has happened with Article 370, I can’t ever stand with that.” Citing a letter by former Janta Party leader Jayaprakash Narayan in which he had written that “it will be a suicide of the soul of India, if India tried to suppress the Kashmiri people by force”. Jha said, “we have opened the way for Kashmir to become Palestine. I only urge you to forgo your ego and embrace the Kashmiris.”

‘Govt is creating another Palestine’: CPM

CPM leader TK Rangarajan alleged that the government is creating “another Palestine”. “You can do this to any State tomorrow. The CPM warned people before the election that the RSS-BJP will destroy the Constitution. He said that those in the Opposition who are supporting the government will realise this in the future. “The Constitution is in danger,” he remarked.

Article 370 died the day Kashmiri Pandits were driven out of Kashmir: Subramanian Swamy

Calling it a ‘great day’, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said that the Leader of Opposition “doesn’t know the law”. He quoted Article 370 and said that Jammu and Kashmir stands as a part of India without Article 370. “Article 370 died the day Kashmiri Pandits were driven out of Kashmir,” he said.

Discussion on Article 370 bill in Lok Sabha tomorrow

The Bill relating to the abolition of Article 370 is likely to be tabled in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Meanwhile, in the Rajya Sabha the time to move amendments to the proposal moved by home minister Amit Shah has been extended.

Shiromani Akali Dal ​supports motion against Article 370

SAD MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder said in the Rajya Sabha that his party is in support of the “unity of India”. He says the country is secular and multi-cultural asking the home minister to ensure that minorities are safe.

Independent member Dr Subhash Chandra supports motion

Independent member of the Upper House, Dr. Subash Chandra said that if it weren’t for Article 370, the two PDP MPs would not have done what they did in Parliament. He also said that there would have always been peace in the region had this Constitutional provision not been there in the first place. This Bill will help turn Kashmir into “a heaven” again, he remarked.