MASSIVE: Congress legal cell 'fully endorses' Modi govt's scrapping of J&K's Article 370, defies Rahul Gandhi

The All India Congress Committee's Supreme Court unit of its legal, human rights and RTI cell said on Friday that it endorses the Centre's move to revoke Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and reorganise the region into Union Territories of Ladakh and J&K. It adds that it endorses the full integration of the region with the rest of India.

A statement released by the Supreme Court Unit of the AICC legal, human rights and RTI department about a resolution passed in a meeting held on Friday said that the cell 'fully endorses and supports the decision to create the two Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, in national interest.'

It adds that it endorses the stand of senior Congress leader Karan Singh who is the son of former Prince of Jammu and Kashmir and hails revocation of Article 35A. It says through this move, gender discrimination has been addressed, the provision did not allow women to own land if they married those who was a non-resident of state.

It also espoused the Centre's stand that the rights to vote and contest in the region for refugees from West Pakistan and reservation for scheduled tribes and economically weaker sections will go a long way in alvating their hardship.

It stands by Centre's position that Article 370 was temporary and transitional and hence supports its abrogation.

Read the statement below: 

Select Congress leaders support Centre on Kashmir

Karan Singh, who is the son of Maharaja Hari Singh who signed the Instrument of Accession and agreed to join India, had said: "Do not agree with blanket condemnation of govt's JK moves, I welcome UT status for Ladakh and abrogation of Art 35A, says gender-discrimination needed to be addressed.'"

READ his full statement on endorsement of the Centre's move here

Congress' and the party's UP general secretary during the Lok Sabha polls, Jyotiraditya Scindia, also extended his support the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisational Bill, 2019. In a tweet, the Congress leader said that it would have been better if 'constitutional process' had been followed. 

READ | Jyotiraditya Scindia Directly Contradicts Rahul Gandhi, Backs Modi Govt's Move Scrap Article 370 & Bifurcate J&K