Parliament on Tuesday approved a resolution abrogating special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and a bill for splitting the state into two Union Territories.
The resolution was adopted by Lok Sabha with 351 members voting in its support and 72 against it, while one member abstained.
The bill to create two UTs -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- was passed by 370 votes in favour and 70 against. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House when the motion and the bill were cleared.
The resolution and the bill were approved by Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Just before the voting, SP members, excluding Mulayam Singh Yadav, and NCP members staged a walk out.
The Trinamool Congress had already made it known that it would not participate in the voting and had left the House earlier.
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NDA ally JD(U) also walked out of the proceedings.
Some Congress members and Assaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) pressed for division of votes.
Biju Janata Dal, TRS, BSP, YSR Congress and AIADMK voted in favour of the resolution and the bill.
Replying to the debate, Home Minister Amit Shah said that India will continue to claim the territories of Jammu and Kashmir under the occupation of Pakistan and asserted that the UN charter was no longer relevant to the Kashmir issue after Pakistan violated it with its aggression in 1965.
He also ruled out any talks with separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference.
"We don't want to talk to Hurriyat, but we ready to speak to people of Kashmir. The government would never talk with separatist elements and those who back cross border terrorism," he said.
Shah said the Modi government will have no hesitation in restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir when normalcy returns.
"India will continue to claim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," he said.
Shah said Article 370 was creating doubts over Jammu and Kashmir's relations with India.
"This is not a historical blunder but we are rectifying the historical blunder," he said dismissing the opposition charges that the government was committing a mistake.
Referring to the applicability of United Nations charter on India and Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said under this charter, neither armed forces could violate the territorial integrity of other country.
"The day in 1965 Pakistan violated this provision, the charter was violated. The question of a referendum ended with the Pakistani aggression.
"Hence, the Government of India has full rights to take any decision regarding its territorial integrity. This was even agreed to by the UN," he said.
Taking a swipe at the Congress, Shah asked as to who took Kashmir matter to UN and who brought a unilateral ceasefire in 1948?
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