Photo credit: AFP

NEW DELHI: As home minister Amit Shah was entering Parliament on Monday, he was clicked holding crucial papers on the Centre's decision to scrap Article 370 that gives special status to Jammu & Kashmir as well as the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories.The picture, clicked by an AFP photographer, lists the items on the agenda — informing President, informing VP, Cabinet meeting, President's notification, Passage of bill in Rajya Sabha , Security in Rajya Sabha, etc....Soon after this picture was clicked, Shah made the announcement in Lok Sabha on the move to scrap J&K's special status. "I am presenting the resolution to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir except the first clause 370 (1)," the home minister said, an announcement that triggered loud protests.He also proposed the bifurcation of the state of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Teriroties - Jammu and Kashmir division and Ladaskh. The UT in Ladakh will have no legislature like Chandigarh while the UT of Jammu and Kashmir will have a legislature like Delhi and Puducherry."There has been a long pending demand of the people to give it the status of a Union Territory to enable them to realize their aspirations," the statement said."Further, keeping in view the prevailing internal security situation, fuelled by cross-border terrorism in the existing state of Jammu and Kashmir, a separate Union Territory for Jammu and Kashmir is being created," he said.Shah's announcement came after days of escalating tension in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the Kashmir Valley, where panicky residents have been buying up essential goods amid a security build up.