Centre has chopped head of India: Azad

New Delhi, Aug 5 (IANS) By revoking Article 370 of the Constitution, the Centre on Monday cut off the head of the country while finishing off the people of Jammu and Kashmir politically, culturally and socially, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

He also accused the Modi government of taking this step only to "garner votes".

Talking to reporters here, after the government revoked Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Azad said: "This government has not only divided the powers of the state but also finished off the people politically, culturally and socially.

"The BJP, drunk on power, finished Article 370, 35A and divided the state in one go. This will be written in black letters in the country's history," the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said.

The Accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India had a history, Azad explained.

To keep the state intact with the country, several people laid down their lives including political leaders and workers, security forces and civilian.

Due to Article 370, the state, which is different culturally, historically, socially and politically, remained united, he said.

After Monday's move, Azad said the state will not have a Governor but a Lt Governor as Jammu and Kashmir had ceased to be a state and had been divided into two Union Territories.

"No one could have thought in their wildest dreams that the NDA government will go to such an extent and demolish the existence of the state," Azad said.

He appealed to all secular parties "from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to Sikkim" to unite and protest against this decision.

"We will fight against this black law inside and outside Parliament," he said.