NEW DELHI: Historical perspective on Article 370 hogged the limelight in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the resolution revoking special status of Jammu and Kashmir and legislative proposal for the reorganisation of the state.
National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi’s claim that BJP’s ideological icon Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was party to the Cabinet decision in 1949 on Article 370 invited angry rebuttal from Union Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah.
Masoodi said Mukherjee was a member of the Union Cabinet led by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and hence party to the collective decision on inserting Article 370.
Shah rejected the contention saying the Constituent Assembly framed the Constitution and the Cabinet got the power to approve legislative proposals before tabling them in Parliament only afterwards.
Intervening in the discussion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asked Masoodi to authenticate his claim or apologise for the remarks. After an uproar by the treasury benches, Speaker Om Birla directed that Masoodi’s remarks be expunged.