Year Ender 2019: Events which drew political attention across the nation

First Published Dec 27, 2019, 5:01 PM IST

The year 2019 saw several turning points in Indian history. From revoking Jammu and Kashmir’s special status through abrogation of Article 370 to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), here are five events of 2019 that became the most prominent political issues in India.

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On February 14, 2019, a convoy of vehicles carrying security personnel on the Jammu Srinagar Highway was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in the Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir. This shocking incident had shaken the entire nation. 40 soldiers were killed in the accident. Following this, on February 26, India Air Force conducted airstrikes in Pakistan’s Balakot, destroying a terror camp and eliminating several terror operatives.

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The Citizenship Amendment Bill passed by both the Houses of Parliament, followed by the President’s approval, led to extensive protests across the country. The Bill, now an Act, proposes to grant Indian citizenship to Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh and Christian minorities who took refuge in India after facing persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested former finance minister P Chidambaram in connection with the INX Media money-laundering case. And several times his bail pleas were rejected by the different courts. Finally, after 106 days, he became successful in leaving Delhi’s Tihar jail. Both CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged financial misconduct involving Chidambaram during his tenure as the finance minister of India.

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The Citizenship Amendment Bill passed by both the Houses of Parliament, followed by the President’s approval, led to extensive protests across the country. The Bill, now an Act, proposes to grant Indian citizenship to Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh and Christian minorities who took refuge in India after facing persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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On August 5, 2019, home minister Amit Shah announced the scrapping of Article 370, a move which revoked special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Shah also announced that Jammu and Kashmir would cease to be a state and get split into two Union Territories. By this move, the government drew strong reactions, not only from various political parties in India, but also from the international community.