'Kashmir Move in India's Interest': Minutes Before Lok Sabha Voting, Govt Finds Unlikely Supporter in Jyotiraditya Scindia

New Delhi: In a surprise move, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that he supported the Narendra Modi government's proposed move to bifurcate the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

"I support the move on #JammuAndKashmir & #Ladakh and its full integration into union of India. Would have been better if constitutional process had been followed. No questions could have been raised then. Nevertheless, this is in our country’s interest and I support this," he wrote on Twitter.​

Hours after Home Minister Amit Shah presented a resolution on Kashmir on Monday, senior Congress leaders Janardan Dwivedi and Deepender S Hooda had said a "historical mistake" had been corrected by the government and that there was no need to have Article 370 in the 21st Century.

In another setback for the Congress, its Rajya Sabha MP and chief whip Bhubaneshwar Kalita resigned from the membership of the House on Monday opposing the party's stand on the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Congress MLA from Rae Bareli Aditi Singh also said on Twitter, "United we stand! Jai Hind. #Article370." When someone reminded her that she was a Congress leader, Singh replied back, saying, "Main ek Hindustani hoon (I am an Indian)."

She termed it a historic decision and urged people not to politicise it. Singh's Assembly segment — Rae Bareli Sadar — is a part of UPA chairperson and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency.

The government has found support from unlikely quarters as the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have welcomed the step.

Explaining the BSP’s call, Satish Mishra said, "It's not just Jammu and Kashmir that has minority Muslim community. The Muslims from there can go to other parts of the country and buy property there. But the minority communities from around the country can't do the same. This is why we have decided to support the Bill."​

On Sunday evening, Scindia had condemned the move of the administration to put mainstream leaders under house arrest. He had wrote on Twitter, "Leaders being placed under house arrest overnight while mass hysteria and deployment of troops, both continue to rise. The situation in #Kashmir is indeed worrying. The govt must make its intentions clear."