JD(U)'s stand on Art 370 guided by legacy of JP, Lohia and Fernandes: K C Tyagi

Senior JD(U) leader K C Tyagi on Monday justified his party MPs staging a walkout in Rajya Sabha over the Centre's move to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it was in line with the ideologies of Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and George Federnandes, who opposed any tinkering with the legislation.

Tyagi, who is JD(U) national general secretary and chief spokesperson, said the abrogation of Article 370 has been the BJP's agenda, but not of his party.

The JD(U), headed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is an important ally of the BJP in the NDA and runs a government in the eastern state together.

"Our party is an inheritor of the legacy left behind by Jayprakash Narayan, Lohia and George Fernandes, all of whom had strongly been in favour of no tinkering with Article 370. Its abrogation has been the BJPs agenda but never that of the NDA. Therefore, we have opposed it," Tyagi said.

The government on Monday revoked Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and proposed that the state be bifurcated into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Asked whether his party would vote against the bill in Parliament or abstain as it did in the case of triple talaq, the senior JD(U) leader said our national president will take a decision on that and issue appropriate directions to members of both the Houses.

He also said the government should have taken all the parties into confidence before announcing such a huge decision.

Tyagi, however, dismissed speculation that the move will have any impact on the JD(U)'s tie-up with the BJP, saying a small dispute does not lead to a major break-up.

Meanwhile, party leader Ajay Alok, a former spokesperson of the JD(U), urged Kumar to review the stand taken against the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill introduced in Parliament by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Alok has been known to adopt a stance on various issues that is in sync with the hard line of the BJP and his outbursts against the problem of illegal immigrants in neighbouring West Bengal had caused him to resign from the post of JD(U) spokesperson.

"With the country's interests in mind, I would appeal our national president @NitishKumar that a rethink be done on the party's stand on the Bill that has been brought with regard to Article 370. The sentiments of the people of the entire country, including Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir, are supreme and a decision must be taken keeping the same in mind," Alok tweeted.