“In the course of discussing the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah emphasized the positive outcomes since the removal of Article 370. Shah highlighted that the voices of the Kashmiri people, unheard for years, were acknowledged by PM Modi on August 5-6, 2019, leading to the restoration of their rights. Opposition MPs staged a walkout following Shah’s remarks on Nehru’s historical decisions related to Kashmir.
On the third day of the Parliament Winter Session, the Lok Sabha deliberated on the bills aiming to amend the reservation system and reorganize Jammu and Kashmir. Shah asserted that the Naya Kashmir Bills aimed at uplifting the deprived, reserving a seat in the J&K Assembly for those displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. One bill sought to nominate two members from the Kashmiri Migrant community, including a woman, to the assembly.
Shah distinguished between granting rights and granting rights with dignity, citing the need to address terrorism early to prevent the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits. He expressed that the Bills, addressing the rights and representation of displaced families, aimed at rectifying historical injustices.
Responding to criticisms, Shah attributed Jammu and Kashmir’s suffering to two blunders by former PM Nehru – announcing a ceasefire and taking the Kashmir issue to the UN. He emphasized that the Bills were a step towards correcting historical errors. Opposition leader Adhir Ranjan challenged BJP leaders to fix a date to discuss Nehru’s contributions, arguing against baseless remarks.
As Opposition MPs walked out over Shah’s Nehru remarks, DMK MP DNV Senthilkumar withdrew his earlier “Gaumutra” remark and expressed regret. The Centre sought Lok Sabha approval for an additional spending of Rs 58,378 crore in the current fiscal, with the first batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2023-24 presented by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.
In a noteworthy development, all 10 BJP MPs who won state Assembly elections resigned from their Parliament membership, following a meeting with JP Nadda and the Prime Minister. Proceedings in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha continued, with various issues raised by MPs, including flood damage in Tamil Nadu, ethics committee reports, and coal imports, among others.”
