The game begins today as BJP has issued a whip to all its Parliament members to be present in the respective Houses of Parliament for the next three working days of the Parliament.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet on Monday morning, an hour and half before the Parliament session commences amid the ongoing developments in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The unscheduled meeting of the Cabinet, which normally meets every Wednesday on a weekly basis, has raised expectations that the agenda for this cabinet meet is primarily J&K, sending shivers down the spines of several leaders from the Kashmir Valley. The leaders have already expressed their concerns and fears over the deployment of troops in Valley in the name of “Amarnath Yatra” which was abruptly called off by the government and issuing an advisory for the pilgrims to leave for their respective homes at the earliest. The central government is even planning to send Indian Air Force aircraft to help the pilgrims to be evacuated.
Former Chief Minister of J&K Farookh Abdullah along with his son Omar Abdullah had met Prime Minister Modi a few days ago and is reported indisposed since then. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday had decided to hold a meeting at a hotel with all political parties but the police have banned hotels from hosting any political functions. Opposition ranks are convinced the central government is up to some “misadventure” in the Valley and have warned it against diluting the constitutional guarantees to the State. “We got no assurance from the Centre. They are not bothered to even say everything will be alright,” commented Mehbooba Mufti. Political parties in Kashmir are suspicious that the central government could be preparing the ground to scrap Articles 35A and 370 which gives special status to J&K.
However, so far, the message which is going around is cryptic and everyone is in a guessing mode as the Prime Minister, Home Minister, National Security Advisor, Defence Minister, External Affair Minister and Finance Minister are all tight lipped. It is a war-like situation. As the President has landed back in the country from his tour abroad on Sunday morning all are waiting with baited breath that something ‘big’ will take place soon as far as J&K is concerned. However, one is also aware that the President had signed the RTI Bill passed by both Houses of Parliament to make it an Act while he was travelling abroad.
Speculations are rife that after tasting success in the passing of the RTI and Triple Talaq bills in both Houses of Parliament, especially since the BJP does not command the majority in the Upper House, the Rajya Sabha, the present Modi government is likely to make a move and to the “temporary” Article 370 and Article 35 A from J&K.
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution is a ‘temporary provision’ which grants special autonomous status to J&K under Part XXI of the Constitution of India, which deals with “Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions”. All the provisions of the Constitution which are applicable to other States are not applicable to J&K. The provision was drafted in 1947 by Sheikh Abdullah, who had by then been appointed prime minister of J&K by Maharaja Hari Singh and Jawaharlal Nehru. Sheikh Abdullah had argued that Article 370 should not be placed under temporary provisions of the Constitution. He wanted ‘iron clad autonomy’ for the State, which the Centre did not agree to. According to Article 370, except for defence, external affairs, finance and communications, Parliament needs the State government’s concurrence for applying all other laws.
Similarly Article 35A of the Indian Constitution empowers the J&K state’s legislature to define “permanent residents” of the State and provide special rights and privileges to those permanent residents. It was added to the Constitution through a Presidential Order, i.e., The Constitution (Application to J&K) Order, 1954 – issued by the President of India on May 14, 1954, exercising the powers conferred by clause (1) of the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, and with the concurrence of the then Government of the State of J&K.
The BJP, during the last general election campaign, was charged by the opposition parties for not delivering what they had promised in their manifesto which included abrogation of Article 370, 35 A from J&K and also to build a Ram Temple at Ayodhya in UP. Barely within three months of taking over the reins of power at the Raisina Hills for the second consecutive five year term, the BJP, seems to be in hurry to testify itself, especially after the success of RTI amendment Act and passing of the Triple Talaq Bill.
Even though the J&K governor who is serving as the chief administrator under President Rule, the State has said that “if anything happens it will happen in open,” political pundits are skeptical as they remember vividly how Modi government is known for throwing surprises which includes demonetisation. Also in the backdrop both India and neighbouring Pakistan have had their respective national security affair meeting on Sunday.
