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PDP MP tears kurta to protest scrapping of Article 370

Last updated on: August 05, 2019 17:00 IST

As soon as home minister Amit Shah announced the government's move to abrogate Article 370 that gives special status to the state, Peoples Democratic Party's Rajya Sabha MP tore his kurta before he and another party MP were asked to leave the House.

IMAGE: PDP MP from Jammu and Kashmir Fayaz Ahmad Mir, with his clothes torn, protests against the Union government's move on Article 370, in the Parliament House complex, in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

Nazir Ahmad Laway and MM Fayaz of Mehbooba Mufti's PDP were asked to go out of the House after they attempted to tear the constitution.

With black bands tied to their arms and wrists, the two Rajya Sabha leaders continued the protest.

In anger, Fayaz tore his kurta.

IMAGE: Mir raises slogans during a protest as he was asked to go out of the House . Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

Senior Congress leader, Gulam Nabi Azad, who is from Jammu and Kashmir, condemned the act of the PDP lawmakers.

"I strongly condemn the actions of the two MPs who attempted to tear the constitution. We stand by the Constitution of India. We will lay down our lives to save the constitution of India," Azad said in the Upper House of the Parliament.

The Parliament witnessed unruly scenes after Shah said that Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir, has been removed by presidential order.

IMAGE: Mir and another PDP MP Nazir Ahmad Laway, who tells Rediff.com that situation in J-K will worsen further, raise slogans. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

The announcement came after a cabinet meeting was held at the official residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day.

The home minister also said that Jammu and Kashmir will be "reorganised" with the bifurcation of the state into two union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

With inputs from ANI

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