Jammu and Kashmir: Union Home Minister Amit Shah engaged in a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha, countering TMC MP Saugata Rays remarks during the Jammu and Kashmir Bills debate. Shah posed a poignant question, questioning the plausibility of a nation having two Prime Ministers, two constitutions, and two flags concurrently.As discussions unfolded on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Shahs retort emphasised the need for a unified governance structure.Maintaining two Prime Ministers, two constitutions, and two flags within one country is untenable. Rectifying this was imperative, and Prime Minister Modi did just that. Since 1950, we advocated for Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan, Ek Vidhan (One Prime Minister, one flag, and one Constitution) and we have finally achieved it, asserted Home Minister Shah during the Lok Sabha session, addressing Saugata Rays remarks on the J-K bills.The Back-and-Forth DialogueSaugata Ray, in his debate on the bills, highlighted the changes in Jammu and Kashmir since Amit Shah assumed office as the Home Minister. He cited the conversion of the states into Union Territories as one of Shahs significant steps.He questioned the rationale behind making alterations in the absence of a Legislative Assembly and stressed the urgency to conduct elections in Jammu and Kashmir.Legislative AmendmentsThe bills discussed in the Lok Sabha include the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which revises the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act of 2004. It extends reservations in jobs and educational institutions to socially and educationally backward classes, encompassing various sections as notified.Additionally, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, modifies the 2019 Act that reorganised the state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This amendment primarily increases the total number of legislative assembly seats and adds provisions for nominations from migrant and displaced communities.The intense parliamentary debate underscores the ideological and structural shifts in Jammu and Kashmir, raising pertinent questions about governance and representation.
