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Updated: Aug 05, 2019 12:24 IST

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that the Centre’s move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution that gives special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir is the “murder of democracy”.

Article 370 for special status on Jammu and Kashmir will be removed, Home Minister Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha today amid massive protest.

Calling the Article 370 “historic” Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “I strongly condemn the government’s move. BJP has not only murdered the Constitution but also murdered democracy.”

Responding to Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Home Minister said “Mr Azad said that Article 370 is historic but the bill that I have here is also historic… it is because of Article 370 that people of J&K are living in poverty for so many years.”

Also Read: ‘Darkest day... catastrophic’: Mehbooba Mufti on Art 370

The Home Minister also said that under the proposed bill Jammu and Kashmir will also be “reorganised,” further proposing the bifurcation of the state into two union territories - Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Ladakh will be a Union Territory without an assembly and Jammu and Kashmir will be a Union Territory with an assembly, the proposal said.

Also read: Government moves to scrap Article 370: All you need to know

Article 370 of the constitution is a ‘temporary provision’ which grants special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP has been opposing special status for Jammu and Kashmir for decades and the same has been a part of its election manifestos.