Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba, Cong react angrily to Govt's decision on J and K

New Delhi: Former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Monday reacted angrily to the Centre scrapping Article 370 of the Constitution providing special status to the state and bifurcating it, saying the "disastrous" move may lead to "catastrophic consequences". Senior BJP leaders Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Ram Madhav and several other BJP leaders, however, welcomed the Union government's decision calling it a "bold and historic" move towards national integration.

In sharp reactions, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that the government has wiped out Jammu and Kashmir's identity while former Home Minister P Chidambaram termed the day as a "black day" in India's history. Earlier, after a Cabinet meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah announced in Rajya Sabha government's decision to scrap Article 370 of the Constitution and said President Ram Nath Kovid has signed notification to this effect. He also placed a proposal in the House to bifurcate the state into two union territories. According to the proposal, Jammu and Kashmir would be one union territory with legislative assembly and Ladakh would be another without assembly.

"Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. The decision of J&K leadership to reject two-nation theory in 1947 and align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of GoI to scrap Article 370 is illegal & unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K," Mehbooba Mufti tweeted. She said the decision will have "catastrophic consequences" for the subcontinent and alleged that India has failed Kashmir in keeping its promises. Terming the government's move "unilateral and shocking", Abdullah said it was a total "betrayal of trust" of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Government of India (GoI)'s unilateral and shocking decisions today are a total betrayal of the trust that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had reposed in India when the state acceded to it in 1947," he said. "The decisions will have far-reaching and dangerous consequences. This is an aggression against people of the state as had been warned by an all-parties meeting in Srinagar yesterday," Abdullah added. He accused the Centre of resorting to "deceit and stealth" in recent weeks to lay the ground for these "disastrous decisions".

"Our darkest apprehensions have unfortunately come true after the GoI and its representatives in J&K lied to us that nothing major was planned," he said. On his part, Jaitley complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Shah, saying "a historical wrong has been undone today. Article 35A came through the back door without following the procedure under Article 368 of the Constitution of India. It had to go." "The decision of the government will help the people of Jammu and Kashmir the most. More investment, more industry, more private educational institutions, more jobs and more revenue will come," he said. In a tweet, Swaraj described the government's decision as "bold and historic".

"We salute our Great India - one India," she added. BJP leader Ram Madhav too hailed the government's decision and said the martyrdom of the party's ideologue Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee for complete integration of the state has been "honoured". The national general secretary and the party's points person for the state said that the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir was a longstanding demand of the nation.

"What a glorious day. Finally, the martyrdom of thousands starting with Dr Shyam Prasad Mukherjee for complete integration of J&K into Indian Union is being honoured and the seven-decade-old demand of the entire nation being realised in front of our eyes; in our lifetime. Ever imagined?" he tweeted. Congress' Azad said all secular parties of the country will remain united to stand with people of Jammu and Kashmir and fight against the "unilateral" decision.