Irfan A Mir
Srinagar, Nov 17 (KNS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday hit out at People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) saying the alliance want foreign forces to intervene into Jammu & Kashmir and want to take back region to the era of terror and turmoil. Shah said India will no longer tolerate an unholy ‘global gathbandhan’ against our national interest.
According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Shah in a series of tweets attacked Congress for merging with PAGD, asking Congress veterans including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to expose their position before the people of India.
“The Gupkar Gang is going global! They want foreign forces to intervene in Jammu and Kashmir. The Gupkar Gang also insults India’s tricolor. Do Sonia Ji and Rahul Ji support such moves of the Gupkar Gang? They should make their stand crystal clear to the people of India”, Shah in a tweet said.
“Congress and Gupkar Gang want to take J&K back to the era of terror and turmoil. They want to take away rights of Dalits, women and tribals that we have ensured by removing Article 370. This is why they’re being rejected by the people everywhere”, the Union Minister in another tweet said.
While reiterating its stand on J&K, Shah said “Jammu and Kashmir has been, is and will always remain an integral part of India. Indian people will no longer tolerate an unholy ‘global gathbandhan’ against our national interest. Either the Gupkar Gang swims along with the national mood or else the people will sink it”.
Meanwhile two former chief ministers of J&K – Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti – while lashing out at senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks about Gupkar Alliance.
The PDP president and former CM Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “BJP’s stale tactic of dividing India by projecting themselves as saviors & political opponents as internal & imagined enemies is far too predictable now. Love jihad, tukde tukde & now Gupkar Gang dominates the political discourse instead of like rising unemployment & inflation”.
She further tweeted, “Fighting elections in an alliance is also anti-national now. BJP can stitch as many alliances in its hunger for power but somehow we are undermining national interest by putting up a united front”.
“Old habits die hard. Earlier BJPs narrative was that the tukde tukde gang threatened India’s sovereignty & they are now using ‘Gupkar Gang’ euphemism to project us as anti-nationals. Irony died a million deaths since its BJP itself that violates the constitution day in & day out”, Mehbooba tweeted.
Another former chief minister of J&K Omar Abdullah while sharply hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “We are not a ‘gang’ Amit Shah ji, we are a legitimate political alliance having fought & continuing to fight elections, much to your disappointment”.
He further tweeted, “Only in J&K can leaders be detained & called anti-national for participating in elections & supporting the democratic process. The truth is all those who oppose the ideology of the BJP are labeled ‘corrupt & anti-national”.
He added, “I can understand the frustration behind this attack by the Hon’ble Home Minister. He had been briefed that the People’s Alliance was preparing to boycott elections. This would have allowed the BJP & newly formed king’s party a free run in J&K. we didn’t oblige them”.
Meanwhile Congress state president G.A Mir has asked Amit Shah to clear his stand on BJP’s alliance with NC &PDP
“Was Mr. Omar & Mrs. Mufti nationalist or anti-national when you were in coalition with them? You should clear this first Mr. Shah”, GA Mir tweeted.
Pertinently seven regional political parties including NC, PDP, ANC, PC, CPI(M) and JKPM jointly formed an alliance namely “People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration” on August 4, 2019, a day before New Delhi scrapped Article 370 and 35(A) and split the erstwhile state into two Union Territories – Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. However soon after the revocation of special status of J&K, authorities took hundreds of mainstream political leaders and activists into ‘preventive custody’ including three former chief ministers – Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti – and kept them in jails for months.
However soon after the release of three former CMs, a meeting was held wherein all signatories avowed to carry forward its fight for restoration of Article 370. Few days ago Congress also took part in PAGD meeting held at Dr Farooq’s residence and joined hands with the alliance.
The PAGD last week also took a crucial decision of taking part in upcoming DDC polls which are scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 22. (KNS)