New Delhi: Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said history will judge whether today’s decision was historic or not. “Today, we should think about why we’re here and what should democracyinvolve. I know the Bill will be passed as you have manufactured a majority.Therefore, we can do nothing about it. While you call this a historic moment,only history will judge whether it was historic or not.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday informed the RajyaSabha that Article 370 has been scrapped with a Presidential notification. The move marked the end of special status for the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Shah further introduced the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019 that proposes to divide the state into two Union Territories (UTs) — J&K, a Union Territory with Legislative Assembly, and Ladakh, a UT without Legislative Assembly. The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, with the said amendments was introduced by Shah in the Upper House of Parliament. A debate on the same is currently underway.

While the Opposition benches, led by Leader of Opposition(LoP) Ghulam Nabi Azad, opposed the move to scrap Article 370, Shah justifiedthe decision saying he was ready to answer all the questions of the Oppositionon the matter.

“Article 370 hatane mein ek second ki bhi deri nahi karnichahiye,” Shah said as Azad alleged that the BJP has ‘murdered’ theConstitution of India. Parties such as AIADMK and TDP said that they willsupport the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019. The Bill will betabled in the Lower House of the Parliament, Lok Sabha, on Tuesday.