BJP gets bouquets from rivals and brickbats from allies over J&K bifurcation

• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally, the Janata Dal (United), is unhappy with the Presidential Order to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
  
• JD-U and the other opposition parties boycotted the bill and walked out of the Rajya Sabha.
  
• Rivals like Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Bahujan Samaj Party leader, Mayawati, have expressed their support for the new move.
  

The Janata Dal (United), a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party opposed Home Minister Amit Shah's proposal seeking to axe Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

JD-U party members joined the Opposition — Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK), National Conference and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) — to walk out of the Rajya Sabha.

BSP, Kejriwal gives a thumbs up

On the other hand, one of BJP's political rivals, Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), was one of the first to extend its support.

"Our party gives complete support. We want that the Bill be passed. Our party is not expressing any opposition to Article 370 Bill and the other Bill," stated Satish Chandra Mishra, a BSP member of parliament, in the Rajya Sabha.

Even Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who is normally at odds with the BJP too welcomed the Bill stating, "We support the government on its decisions on J&K. We hope this will bring peace and development in the state.”


JD-U walks out

The Presidential Order signed by Ram Nath Kovind splits the state into two Union Territories (UTs), Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. While the former will have legislation and an assembly, the latter will be without an assembly.

JD-U party leader, Ram Nath Thakur, said in the Rajya Sabha their party had always favoured resolving the Kashmir issue through negotiations.

"I, on behalf of the party, and our leader Nitish Kumar want to boycott the bills brought by Home Minister with some clarifications," he stated.

He added that, since 1996, it was decided that all controversial issues would be settled through a court order or negotiations.

Other allies of the BJP -- Shiv Sena, YSR Congress Party and Telangana Rashtra Samithi -- have expressed their support for the bill.


(with IANS inputs)


See also:

Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will now be two separate Union Territories


Article 370 and Article 35A which give Kashmir a special status will be annulled, Amit Shah tells Indian Parliament


‘Betrayal, catastrophe, dangerous’ J&K leaders livid as India scraps Article 370 and bifurcates the state