There should not be a second's delay in abrogating Article 370: Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that Article 370 did not allow proper integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India and should have been removed without delay of a second.

He asserted that BJP-led government had the "political will" to take decisions concerning the "temporary" provision in the constitution.

Moving the The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, for discussion and passage in the House, he rejected Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's contention that 370 had integrated the state with the country.

He also moved a bill for providing 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker sections and a resolution for abrogating Article 370 of the constitution.

"Article 370 has been regarded as a temporary provision and it had to go. It should have gone long back. But nobody showed will power to do so due to vote bank politics. We are not worried about vote banks nor do we lack political will under Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

He said there should be discussion why Article 370 remained for so long and why there was corruption in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Why did weaker sections such as tribals did not get political reservations?" he asked.

He said maximum amount of development money went to Jammu and Kashmir.

"There should not be a second's delay in abrogating Article 370," he said.

The resolution said the President, on the recommendation of the Parliament, is pleased to declare that, as from August 5, 2019, all clauses of the said article 370 shall cease to be operative except clause (1).

The bills were moved when Jammu and Kashmir is under President's Rule.

The bills, which have far-ranging implications, were moved after a meeting of union cabinet in the morning.

The reorganisation bill seeks to create union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.