Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Monday expressed disappointment that the Centre had revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir without taking the state's people and leaders into confidence.
The decision was announced in the Rajya Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Speaking to reporters here, Pawar said, "I can name Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mehbooba Mufti, Omar and Farooq Abdullah who have always taken a stand to stay with India. They should have been taken into confidence and it would have looked a wiser decision."
"We will have to see whether it is a final solution, or the beginning of large scale outrage in the Valley," the former defence minister added.
Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar questioned whether the move had some connection with the mediation proposal made by United States President Donald Trump, and also claimed the revocation might have a bearing on India's border dispute with Pakistan.
Ambedkar said, "Amit Shah, while moving the resolution to scrap Article 370, said Article 370 (1) will stay but sections 2 and 3 will go."
"The proviso of Article 370 (1) states that the Indian government will not go against the article 370. So even if sections 2 and 3 are removed, Article 370 (1) stays, (which means) you (Centre) need to have dialogue with local Assembly, government," he said.
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Elaborating, he said, "The second aspect of the move is about Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The J-K Assembly and its Constitution has reserved some places for representation of people from PoK. Does it mean the Indian government is going to give up its claim on Pakistan occupied Kashmir?"
"The Centre must clarify whether the decision to scrap Article 370 was part of mediation proposal allegedly discussed with US President Donald Trump. Did Trump suggest abrogation of Article 370 so that the Indian government eventually can convince people it had given up its claim on PoK forever," he asked.
"Will this also mean the existing line of control will be considered as international line of control? This needs to be explained," Ambedkar said.
"Going by the deployment of security forces in the Valley, it does not look like a 'one nation' policy, but a Hindu nation dictating to Muslim minority Kashmiris," he claimed, adding that the reaction of Kashmiris from hereon would be crucial.
He also accused "secular governments" of the past of "diluting" Article 370 progressively.
He said the BJP and RSS made this move to push their agenda forward.
He claimed the decision came at an "inappropriate" time when the country was faced with an economic crisis, and called it a "blunder".
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