"Constitution Thrown Into Dustbin," Says Derek O'Brien On Kashmir Move

Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien today accused the BJP of throwing the Constitution "into the dustbin" as the Centre ended the special status to Jammu and Kashmir granted by the Article 370 in the Constitution. This morning, Union Home Minister Amit Shah told Parliament that Article 370 will be removed and Jammu and Kashmir will also be "reorganised". The announcement triggered a huge row in Parliament, through which the government is planning to push through several bills. 

"Today is Black Monday," said Derek O'Brien, whose party is among a handful opposing the government's move on Jammu and Kashmir. "The Constitution has either been forgotten or thrown into the dustbin. Tomorrow Bengal can become four states, or Odisha can become, what's your lucky number, seven states. Or worse -- you could become a Union Territory. What we saw was mockery of Parliament," he added. 

The government plans to split Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories - Ladakh, which will not have an assembly and Jammu and Kashmir, which will have one, but with hugely curtailed powers. 

The BJP maintains that that the Articles giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir are "constitutionally vulnerable", discriminatory and have inhibited the development of the state.

Besides Trinamool, the Congress, Omar Abdullah's National Conference, Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party and the Left parties are opposing the government's move on Kashmir. 

The rest -- including Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the ruling YSR Congress of Andhra Pradesh, and Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal -- are supporting the government. 

"What the government has done is regressive and will further alienate the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the murder of democracy," CPI general secretary D Raja said.

The CPM said the move was an "attack" on the Constitution. "This is an attack on the Indian Constitution by scrapping Article 370 and dismantling the state of Jammu and Kashmir. They will be led by the central leadership of these parties," the party said in a statement.