Monitor News Desk
New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack at the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, an amalgamation of mainstream Jammu and Kashmir political parties, and made it clear that J&K will always remain an integral part of India.
Taking to Twitter, Shah said that the parties of the Gupkar Alliance, which he termed as ‘Gupkar Gang’, were seeking the intervention of foreign countries like China and Pakistan in a bid to restore J&K’s special status.
“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.
Noting that the alliance members had even “insulted” the national Tricolour, the BJP leader asked the Congress leadership whether it supports such a move of the ‘Gupkar Gang’ with which it has decided to fight the upcoming J&K District Development Council elections.
“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,” Shah said, apparently referring to the Congress’ defeat in recent elections in Bihar and nationwide bypolls.
The minister stated that J&K will always remain a part of India and warned the Gupkar Alliance parties to not go against the national mood.
“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,” he stated.
Reacting to Amit Shah’s tweets, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: “Well said, @AmitShah ji. The @INCIndia has increasingly found comfort in the ‘break-India’(‘tukde-tukde’) naxal groups. They have exposed their continuing tendency to associate with forces which seek external help to upset India. People of India seek an answer from @INCIndia.”
The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration or PAGD consists of seven mainstream parties. The grouping came into existence on October 15 to seek the restoration of erstwhile state’s special status granted via now-abrogated Article 370.
The grouping includes National Conference, People’s Democratic Party, People’s Conference, Awami National Conference, CPM, CPI and J&K People’s Movement.
The Gupkar Alliance was soon referred to by the name “Gupkar Gang” by many as it was accused of adopting ‘anti-national agenda’.
Some of the leaders associated with the alliance, including National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, have spoken about seeking the help of China and Pakistan for the restoration of Article 370.
Mehbooba Mufti, chief of the PDP, had said that the Indian Tricolour would mean anything to her only if the flag of the erstwhile state of J&K was restored.
Discover more from The Kashmir Monitor
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
