‘Naya Kashmir Bills’ Will Give Justice to Those Deprived For 70 Years, Says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday that the two “Naya Kashmir” Bills, the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, would support and elevate individuals who have traditionally been denied their rights. During their consideration, the Minister expressed his satisfaction that no one had opposed the Bills.

“There is a difference between granting someone their rights, and granting someone their rights with dignity,” the Union Minister said during a speech in the Lok Sabha.

Shah said, “The two bills will bring justice to those who have been denied their rights for the past 70 years.”

Shah was responding to questions in the Lok Sabha over the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

The purpose of the bill I’ve presented here is to provide justice and rights to those who have been the targets of injustice, insults, and disregard. Those that are disadvantaged deserve to be elevated in any community. That is the Indian Constitution’s fundamental meaning. However, they must be presented in a manner that maintains their dignity, he said.

In 1991, Kashmiri pandits fled their homeland, and Shah said, “They lived as refugees in their own country.” With the passage of this measure, they regained their rights to employment, education, and reservation-based voting.

In addition, he praised the Modi administration for repealing Article 370 and said that this Bill included a fair delimitation process.

The two proposals were moved in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday by the Union Home Minister. The Lok Sabha has scheduled the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill for discussion simultaneously.

The debate had originally been scheduled for around four hours.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury brought up Jawaharlal Nehru during his bill-talking speech, pointing out that both current and previous ministers continue to disparage and bring up the former prime minister in conversations over Jammu and Kashmir.

“We want a day where we talk about Jammu and Kashmir, Nehru, and his mistakes. We are sick of hearing about these things for 70 years,” he remarked.

He also cited the words of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, “Kashmiriyat, Jamhuriyat, and Insaniyat,” and asked the Treasury to consider if they had been adhered to.