India / Cong, Gupkar Gang want to take J&K back to era of terror: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday slammed Congress and the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), known as the Gupkar Alliance saying that they want to take Jammu and Kashmir “back to the era of terror and turmoil”.

Taking to Twitter Shah wrote, “Congress and the 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 senior leader also asked Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi if they support the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration which, he said, insults India’s tricolour.

The Congress party has recently announced a a tie-up with the Gupkar Alliance for the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections in J&K.

In a string of allegations, Shah also said that the alliance wants foreign forces to intervene in Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that Indian people will no longer tolerate an “unholy global gathbandhan” against national interest. Taking to Twitter, Shah wrote, “The Gupkar Gang is going global! They want foreign forces to intervene in Jammu and Kashmir. The Gupkar Gang also insults India’s Tricolour. 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.”

He tweeted, “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.”

Parties including the National Conference, PDP, Peoples Conference and CPI(M), formed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration and are fighting the maiden District Development Council (DDC) elections together.

On October 24, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had said that the PAGD has been formed to ensure the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are restored. “All of us united that the pre-August 5th, 2019 position must be restored,” he added.

While Farooq Abdullah was chosen as president of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, Mehbooba Mufti was picked to play a role of vice-president.

The DDC polls will be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in eight phases between November 28 and December 19, and the counting of votes will take place on December 22.

What is the Gupkar Declaration?

The Gupkar Declaration was a joint resolution signed on August 4, 2019 by the six political parties of Jammu and Kashmir. It was signed after an all-party meet at Gupkar Residence at National Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah’s Gupkar Residence in Jammu and Kashmir to oppose the Centre’s decision on abrogation of Article 370 which granted a special status to the erstwhile state (now a Union Territory).

The six political parties include– The National Conference (NC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Indian National Congress, the J&K Peoples Conference (PC), the Communist Party of India (Marxist)(CPI (M)) and the Awami National Conference (ANC).

The all-party meet came to a resolution of attending regional parties and the Congress to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and fight against any move to dilute it.

The joint statement read: “We are committed to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the Constitution of J&K and the restoration of the State and any division of the State is unacceptable to us. We unanimously reiterate that there can be nothing about us without us. The series of measures undertaken on 5 August 2019 was grossly unconstitutional and in reality measures of disempowerment and a challenge to the basic identity of the people of J&K.”