The Rajya Sabha descended into chaos on Monday after the government proposed doing away with every provision of Article 370, the article that guarantees Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. Under the plan, Ladakh would be carved out, and the two regions would each become a union territory.

Protests and reactions

Opposition MPs began protesting the moment Home Minister Amit Shah set out the proposal in the House. The decision also set off a wave of reactions on social media, with opinion on Twitter divided while the protests went on in Parliament.

Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister of the state who was under house arrest, strongly criticised the move. “It will have catastrophic consequences for the subcontinent,” she said, accusing the Government of India of wanting the state’s territory at the cost of its people and saying India had failed to honour its promises to Kashmir.

What happened next

Parliament ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 on 5-6 August 2019, and the state was reorganised into two union territories.

See also: political leaders

Originally published on 5 August 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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