New Delhi: Former BJP leader and a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government, Yashwant Sinha, on Monday called the Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370 “a pure political step” and said the move would help the BJP achieve an even bigger electoral win than what Rajiv Gandhi achieved after the assassination of his mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in 1984.
Warning that the move would further alienate people of Jammu and Kashmir, Sinha told NDTV in an interview: "They (BJP) will beat Rajiv Gandhi's record."
"What the government of India has done with Article 370, and Article 35A, is nothing more than pure politics... There are state elections coming in some very important states of India, and this whole thing has been done in order to be able to win the elections," the former finance minister added.
In 1984, after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the sympathy wave helped the Congress led by Rajiv Gandhi win 426 of 567 seats in the Parliament.
Moving resolution on Kashmir in Rajya Sabha, Home minister Amit Shah on Monday said that he was sure that abrogation of Article 370 would end the "bloody war" in Kashmir.
"I want to clear in front of the House that due to removal Article 370 there will be an end to long bloodshed in Kashmir. While 370 has damaged Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, 35A has increased corruption over the years," Shah said, adding that Article 370 is anti-women, is the root cause of terrorism and is responsible for poverty in the Valley.
Allaying opposition fears of all hell breaking loose after the move, Shah replying, "nothing will happen" and it won't be allowed to turn into another battle torn Kosovo. "It was heaven on earth and will remain so," he said replying to the debate on the resolution and the bill which were taken up together.
He said full statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at "appropriate time" and after "normalcy" returns.
The Bill provides for bifurcation of the state into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. "Article 370 is biggest hurdle to normalcy in the state," he said, adding his government was committed to making Jammu and Kashmir the most developed state in the country.
According to the resolution moved by the Home minister, Article 370 ceases to be operative from Monday itself. "The president on the recommendation of Parliament is pleased to declare as from 5th of August 2019, all clauses of the said Article 370 shall cease to be operative... ," the resolution stated.
Shah also moved the resolution on Kashmir in the Lok Sabha but had to face opposition parties' walkout.
He assured the opposition members that he would move the bill and the resolution for consideration of the House on Tuesday and was only seeking the permission of the House for the same now.
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