Friday, 16 October 2020 | Mohit Kandhari | Jammu
People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration
The mainstream politics in Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday witnessed a “tectonic” shift after top brass of the National Conference for the first time decided to forge an “alliance” with archrival Mehbooba Mufti, chief of Peoples Democratic Party, along with the leaders of four other regional parties under the banner of “People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration” to fight a “constitutional battle” demanding the Government of India to return to the people of the erstwhile State the rights they held before August 5, 2019.
The decision to float this new alliance was taken at a crucial meeting convened by Farooq Abdullah at his residence in Srinagar.
The meeting was attended by all the leaders who are signatories of “Gupkar Declaration”, a resolution issued after an all-party meeting on August 4, 2019 at the Gupkar residence of Farooq Abdullah. JKPCC chief GA Mir was not present during the meeting.
Addressing the media soon after the meeting, Abdullah, flanked by Mehbooba, Omar Abdullah, CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami, People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone, JKPM leader Javaid Mustafa Mir and ANC leader Muzaffar Shah said that the resolution passed on August 4 last year by the mainstream political parties in the valley has been named as “Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration”.
He said, “Our motive is to fight for the restoration of last year’s August 4 position. Our battle is a constitutional battle and we are ready to fight”.
Abdullah also stated that the signatories will also fight for the rights that were snatched last year from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. “We also want that the steps be taken for the resolution of Kashmir issue and all the stakeholders should be taken on board in this regard,” he added.
Farooq further informed media that the next meeting of the signatories will be held in the coming days and the decision taken for the future course of action will be made public on the particular day.
Elaborating further he said, “We met today to congratulate and greet Mehbooba who has been released from detention after 14 long months”. “It was a totally ‘illegal’, ‘unjustified’ and ‘unconstitutional’ decision”.
He said we have also demanded the immediate release of all those people who are still under detention across different jails in India.
“We will also visit people from the other regions of the State so that we can have broader discussion on the issues we are putting before the people of the state and the Government of India”, Dr Abdullah concluded.
