Parliament: Amit Shah likely to speak on J&K bills today
Home Minister Amit Shah will reportedly respond to the debate on the two key bills on Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the second day of the Parliament's Winter Session, he moved the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill. They propose to give reservations to the "underprivileged" and Kashmiri Pandit migrants.
Why does this story matter?
The Centre planned to pass these bills during the Monsoon Session of Parliament on July 26. However, they were not taken up for discussion or passage due to opposition protests over the Manipur violence. The J&K National Conference (JKNC), led by Farooq Abdullah, opposed the legislation, claiming the matter of J&K's reorganization had already been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Know about proposed J&K bills
The J&K Reservation (Amendment) Bill 2023, which amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act 2004, seeks to provide reservations to weaker classes. Similarly, the J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill seeks to increase the number of seats in the J&K Legislative Assembly from 83 to 90. It also proposes reserving seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Kashmiri Pandits, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Modi government ensured India has 'one flag, one Constitution': Shah
On Tuesday, Shah stated in Lok Sabha that the Narendra Modi government ensured India had just "one flag and one constitution." He said the BJP firmly believed in the concept and implemented it in J&K, probably referring to the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. Shah was responding to remarks by Trinamool Congress's (TMC) Saugata Roy, who had called the slogan "political."
Scheduled business in Lok Sabha
Aside from J&K-related bills, the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023, will also be taken up in the Lower House. Furthermore, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's presentation of the "Supplemental Demands for Grants—First Batch for 2023-24" or additional grants would be high on the agenda for the central government. The government needed the funds for upcoming spending on different projects in the country.
Uproar in Lok Sabha over DMK MPs 'Gaumutra' remarks
Amid the scheduled agenda, the Lok Sabha witnessed an uproar on Tuesday over controversial remarks by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP DNV Senthilkumar, who called Hindi heartland "Gaumutra (cow urine) states." The BJP's minister, Arjun Meghwal, sought an apology from the DMK's TR Balu. The speaker had to adjourn the proceedings several times after the BJP MPs protested over the issue.
