Article 370 scrapped: This one is for Syama Prasad Mukherjee, says CM

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his state ally Uddhav Thackeray hail the move, while Pawar slams the government for not taking Kashmiri leaders into confidence

The BJP and Shiv Sena celebrated the withdrawal of special status to J&K and bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories while the Congress, NCP and others called it the murder of democracy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed the move and recalled the martyrdom of Jan Sangha founder late Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee for the cause of Article 370. Mukherjee died under mysterious circumstances in Srinagar in 1953 when he was in police custody after leading protests in Kashmir. Jan Sangh was dissolved to be shaped as BJP in 1980. Fadnavis said the slogan 'Jaha huye balidan Mukherjee woh Kashmir hamara hai' is close to every BJP worker since childhood.

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"The Congress made a historic blunder by giving Kashmir special status. But PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have ensured a law that will defeat Pakistan's intention," he said while speaking in Yavatmal. State president Chandrakant Patil and others paid rich tributes to the late Mukherjee at the party's Mumbai headquarters. "Generations of Jan Sangh and BJP leaders have fought to unite the country. Special status to J&K has always been a threat to the country's integrity. Today is the happiest day for us," said Patil.

'It's about nation's unity'

A fervent critic, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray showered Modi and Shah with unprecedented praise, saying the two have shown steely resolve in fulfilling a promise mentioned in the BJP-Sena's election manifesto. "Today is a historic day. The dream that the late Balasaheb Thackeray and the late Atal Behari Vajpayee envisaged has finally come true. Independence Day isn't here yet, but I would say the country is liberated in a true sense today," he said. Thackeray said his late father would have been happy had he been alive. "When Kashmiri Pundits were forced to leave their homeland, there was only one leader – my father – who assured them protection. My father always felt the Pundits must get their homes back," he said.

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'Murder of democracy'

State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant called the development a murder of democracy. "The process isn't democratic. J&K Assembly isn't working. Public representatives, residents weren't asked for their views," he said. Sawant told mid-day that while the BJP had created an atmosphere of happiness across the country, there was no way to know how Kashmiris felt about it. "The Valley is silent and the people are surrounded by the Army and police. This is highly objectionable," he said, adding that the development should be seen as a caution for other states that enjoy special status. "One fine day, their special status will be taken away without letting them know," he said. NCP Chief Sharad Pawar despised the way the process was carried out without taking into confidence the Kashmiri leaders. "What I fear is a public reaction in the Valley. I hope for peace and expect the government to win the trust of locals."

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