The Congress on Tuesday distanced itself from Gupkar alliance after Home Minister Amit Shah sought clarification from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi about their stand on the agenda put forth by a conglomeration of leaders from the Kashmir valley.
In a series of tweets Shah termed Gupkar “gang” as an unholy alliance and said Sonia and Rahul must clarify their stand clear to people of India.
Hitting out at Shah, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “To spread lies, fraud and creating new illusions have become the way of the Modi Government. It’s a shame that Home Minister Amit Shah is keeping aside the responsibility of the national security and is making false, misleading and mischievous statements on Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh... Congress party is not a part of Gupkar alliance.”
Shah alleged that the “Gupkar Gang is going global” and wants foreign forces to intervene in Jammu & Kashmir.
The conglomerate of regional and national political parties in Jammu & Kashmir was formed defending the restoration of the Article 370, scrapped last year.
“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,” he said. Shah said Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and will always remain an integral part of India and the people of the country will no longer tolerate an unholy ‘global gathbandhan’ against India’s national interest.
“Either the Gupkar Gang swims along with the national mood or else the people will sink it,” he said.
The Home Minister also questioned Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi whether they support the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). “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 said.
Hours after Shah’s tweets, Surjewala in the statement in Hindi said, “Congress party is not a part of Gupkar alliance. Hitting out at the BJP Government at the Centre, the Congress leader said, “To spread lies, fraud and creating new illusions have become the way of the Modi Government. It’s a shame that Home Minister Amit Shah is keeping aside the responsibility of the national security and is making false, misleading and mischievous statements on Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Surjewala in the statement in Hindi said, “Congress party is not a part of Gupkar alliance or People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration.”
While asserting that the Congress is fighting the DDC elections in Jammu & Kashmir he said, “The Indian National Congress favours democratic elections in Jammu & Kashmir and for this purpose the Congress is contesting the District Development Council elections.... in a democratic manner.”
Welcoming Shah’s statements on the Gupkar alliance, BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told a Press conference that his remarks are appropriate as PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti had made it clear that she will not raise the national flag until the separate flag of Jammu & Kashmir is restored.
Prasad also claimed that NC leader Farooq Abdullah had once stated that he will seek China’s support for the restoration of special status of Jammu & Kashmir. On August 4 last year, a day before abrogation of Article 370 was announced, political parties in Kashmir, except the BJP, met at Abdullah’s residence on Gupkar Road in Srinagar. They had also issued a joint statement defending Article 370. The constituents of the conglomerate besides the NC and the PDP also include the CPI(M), the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference and the Awami National Conference.
The Congress recently announced that it will have a seat-sharing arrangement with the PAGD for the forthcoming elections to District Development Councils in Jammu & Kashmir. Abdullah is the PAGD’s chairperson and PDP chief Mehbooba its vice-chairperson. Veteran CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami is the alliance’s convener while People’s Conference leader Sajjad Gani Lone is its spokesperson.