'Darkest day' and 'monumental decision': Twitter divided over decision to scrap Article 370

A few hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the President-apporved bill to remove special status to India's border state Jammu and Kashmir, twitter flooded with reactions of politicians, filmstars and analysts.

Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti vent her anger saying that the 'Unilateral decision of GOI to scrap Article 370 is illegal & unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K'. Mufti has been under house arrest since Sunday.

BJP leader and former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely hailed the Modi government for the 'monumental decision towards National integration'

Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. Decision of J&K leadership to reject 2 nation theory in 1947 & align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of GOI to scrap Article 370 is illegal & unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in J&K.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) August 5, 2019

In a terse tweet, film star and BJP member Anupam Kher declared that 'Kashmir solution has begun'.

The government’s decision in relation to Article 370 is a monumental decision towards National integration.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) August 5, 2019

BJP's points person for Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav described it as a glorious day.

Kashmir Solution has begun.🇮🇳
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) August 4, 2019

Historian Ramachandra Guha called the entire episode an example of authoritarianism. In another tweet Guha quoted Jayaprakash Narayan from 1966 ‘If we continue to rule by force and suppress these people and crush them or change the racial or religious character of their state by colonization, or by any other means, then I think that means politically a most obnoxious thing to do’.

What a glorious day. Finally d martyrdom of thousands starting with Dr Shyam Prasad Mukharjee for compete integration of J&K into Indian Union is being honoured and d seven decade old demand of d entire nation being realised in front of our eyes; in our life time.Ever imagined?🙏
— Ram Madhav (@rammadhavbjp) August 5, 2019

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came out in favour of the decision.

This is not democracy, this is authoritarianism, the handiwork of paranoid, insecure rulers who daren't even have a proper debate inside or outside Parliament. https://t.co/ePlUK7p4xD
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) August 5, 2019

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