NEW DELHI, Dec 5: In a Tuesday jab at TMC chief Saugata Ray, Union Minister Anurag Thakur claimed that Jammu and Kashmir had changed significantly in the four years since Article 370 was repealed. Speaking during the Lok Sabha’s discussion of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Thakur stated that there had been no incidents of stone throwing and that the Indian tricolour is currently flown in every street in the Union Territory.However, Thakur recalled his own experience during the Tiranga Yatra, saying that earlier, when the National Conference (NC) was in power, BJP officials were imprisoned for attempting to hoist the national flag there. In response to the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) stating that “ek nishan, ek pradhan, ek samvidhan” was a political catchphrase, he made this statement. The minister of communication and broadcasting claimed that the “Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra,” which highlights the people-centered policies of the Narendra Modi government, is being prohibited from taking place in West Bengal by the TMC government. Not even seventy years after independence had Articles 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir been abolished by the Modi government, he claimed.Maharaja Hari Singh, who signed the Instrument of Accession with India, made a significant contribution to the development of Jammu and Kashmir. Thakur criticised the opposition for omitting this fact. Does his input go unnoticed? Does Sardar Patel’s contribution—who made sure the princely realms merged—not deserve recognition? Sardar Patel established the groundwork for a powerful India. The deficiencies that Jawaharlal Nehru left behind were addressed today in Parliament on August 5–6, 2019, according to Thakur.
