Mixed reactions in Kerala to abrogation of Art 370 in J&K

Thiruvananthapuram: The Center's decision on Monday to abrogateArticle 370 that gives special status to Jammu and Kashmirevoked mixed reactions in Kerala, with some being excited and others blaming the ruling party.

The government today abolishedArticle 370 andmoved a separate bill to bifurcate the state into two separateunion territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, a move termed as a 'black day' by some opposition parties.

Madhu, who runs a restaurant in the city, was not that excited about the developments.

He was visibly upset that there was not much protest from Opposition parties in both houses of Parliament.

"How does it even matter to a commoner like me? Basically, this is all just a political gimmick. The BJP wanted to draw attention away from their failures.

The Opposition, especially the Congress, was very weak in protest at both the houses.

Then those parties which protested were pretty much inconsequential.

Look at the plight of the Left from Kerala. Just one MP in the Lok Sabha," Madhu said.

However, Padmavathi, a student in a private college here told PTI  she was happy that a strong government is ruling the centre.

"This shows that there is a strong government at the Centre. For many decades, the terrorists have exploited Article 370 and it was the commoners who bore the brunt, she said.

The mammoth majority for BJP made this happen. I feel so happy that finally Kashmir has become an integral part of the country," Padmini, a political science student, said.

Binu, a lawyer, said the decision to bifurcate the state has just brought out the "autocratic behaviour" of the saffron party.

He also said that the BJP has got no respect for the Constitution of the country.

"The autocratic behaviour of the BJP-led central government has come out in the open.

They don't have any kind of respect towards the Constitution. There are specific instructions as to how the Article can be abrogated.

They gave scant regard to the Constitution and even bifurcated the state within 1.5 hours. Is this some kind of banana republic? And they talk about nationalism and all," the lawyer said.

Meeting a long-held promise of the BJP, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Monday moved a resolution in the Rajya Sabha that Article 370, which allowed Jammu and Kashmir to have its own Constitution, will no longer be applicable.