The Lok Sabha Wednesday saw a heated discussion during the debate on the budgetary provisions for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh with members from both sides trading charges before disposing of financial business,The Indian Express reported.

According to a report published by the newspaper The Indian Express, as Opposition members across party lines attacked the government over the curtailment of democratic rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman countered the offensive with her ministerialcolleagues Jitendra Singh and G Kishen Reddy chipping in.

“The cash supplementary side of the grants includes additional expenditure on account of enhancement in dearness allowances, an increase in a number of pensions, etc. These are things for which we seek the permission of the House for clearing the grants,” The Indian Express quoted Sitharaman as having said. “Corruption,” she claimed, “has ended. Things have become more transparent in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.”

She criticised the Congress for having failed to resettle Kashmiri Pandits when it was in power.

Former minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant created an embarrassing situation for members of the Congress and NCP when hestrongly argued in favour of the abrogation of Article 370. Hailing PM Narendra Modi for the “bold step”, he said it was the fulfillment of “the dream of Hinduhriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray”. He lamented that “grief is not expressed here (in the House) when small little children pelt our jawans with stones”.“You are our ally,” he told Congress members, “but the Shiv Sena has not given up its line. Nor has Uddhav Thackerayji”. “Nobody speaks when our jawans aremartyred… In Jammu and Kashmir, the Tricolor is not unfurled. It is burnt… Aterrorist, if killed, is made into a hero.”

Jitendra Singh said the decision to reorganize the erstwhilestate was taken after due diligence and that the results were visible within 48hours, including the reduction in prices of commodities such as cement.Theminister argued that the current administration did not believe in offeringalibi about the situation and that people had been detained for securityreasons.Singh said only over 300 people were under detention, which he said wasthe lowest in 30 years. He said 40,000 people have died in the last 30 years inJ&K but many politicians were only worried about a few families.