Article 370: Congress\' Jyotiraditya Scindia backs Modi govt on bifurcation of J&K

Article 370: Congress' Jyotiraditya Scindia backs Modi govt on bifurcation of J&K

The tweet came just before the Congress working committee meeting on Tuesday. His statement deviates from the party stance that the bills related to Jammu and Kashmir were railroaded through both Houses in an undemocratic manner

Congress general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia

In a big surprise, Congress General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia has voiced his support towards Modi government's decision to revoke special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370. The government has secured the approval of both Houses of the Parliament to carve Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, and end special status of the northernmost state.

"I support the move on #JammuAndKashmir & #Ladakh and its full integration into union of India. Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our country's interest and I support this," Scindia said in a tweet.

The tweet came just before the Congress working committee meeting on Tuesday. His statement deviates from the party stance that the bills related to Jammu and Kashmir were railroaded through both Houses in an undemocratic manner.

Scindia is a general secretary in the Congress and a close aide of former party chief Rahul Gandhi. In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, he was given the responsibility of UP (West), whereas Priyanka Gandhi, sister of Rahul Gandhi, was made the in-charge of UP (East). However, Congress fared poorly in the crucial state, whereas Scindia lost the Guna seat in Madhya Pradesh.

Scindia was not alone in supproting Modi government's recent decisions on Jammu and Kashmir, or calling for further debate on the recently passed bills. Milind Deora, senior Congress leader from Mumbai, had called for parties to "put aside ideological fixations and debate what's best for India's sovereignty and federalism, peace in J&K, jobs for Kashmiri youth and justice for Kashmiri Pandits" in response to a tweet.

"I have been of the opinion since long that Article 370 is irrelevant in the 21st Century and should be abrogated. This is in the interest of the nation's integrity and the people of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of our nation. However, it is the responsibility of the incumbent government that it is done in an environment of peace and confidence," Congress leader Deepender Hooda had tweeted.

"My mentor Ram Manohar Lohia was against Article 370 from the start. My personal view is that this is a matter of national satisfaction. A mistake made during independence has been corrected, even if belatedly," Congress leader Janardhan Dwivedi told news agency ANI.