SRINAGAR: The Peoples’ Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration, the amalgamation of seven parties from the main Kashmir parties demanding the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, appointed head of the National Conference on Saturday Farooq Abdullah as its president, president of PDP Mehbooba Mufti as vice president, and decided on the old state flag Jammu and Kashmir it would be the flag of the alliance.
The decisions were made at a meeting of the alliance’s constituents, some of whom are archrivals, at the Mufti residence on Gupkar Road here. “It is not an anti-national alliance, it is an anti-BJP alliance … Bjp wants to divide the country, our goal is to ensure that the rights of the people of J&K and Ladakh are restored, ”said Dr. Abdullah.
Congress appeared to distance itself from the PAGD, and J&K PCC chairman GA Mir stayed away from two conglomerate meetings: October 15, when the alliance was forged, and Saturday. Sources close to the congressional regional unit said this was due to what they described as a “twist” in the objective of the basic demand for the restoration of special status to J&K, a reference to recent statements by Mehbooba Mufti to the effect of let her raise the tricolor only when the J&K flag could also be flown. The source said that Congress had raised the issue of nullifying Article 370. in Parliament, but PDP Rajya Sabha members had not spoken a word about it in the Upper House.
Union Minister of Law Ravi Shankar PrasadMeanwhile, he was quoted by ANI asking: “Why is the so-called secular lobby silent in the face of this anti-national comment (Mehbooba’s comments on Friday)? … In a country there can be no ‘do nishaan, do pradhan’. We condemn this. “He added that J&K was” the inseparable part of India “and that” the repeal of Article 370 was a constitutional process (sic). ”
However, CPM leader Yousuf Tarigami rejected the notion of Congress distancing itself, saying: “The Congress party is (very much) a component of the PAGD.”
The constituents of PAGD are the National Conference, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, Peoples Conference, Awami National Conference, CPM, CPI and J&K Peoples Movement.
The veteran CPM leader, MY Tarigami, was elected coordinator, while Lok Sabha member of South Kashmir Hasnain Masoodi was appointed coordinator of the conglomerate. The president of the People’s Conference, Sajad Gani Lone, would be the spokesperson for the amalgam.
The President of the Peoples’ Conference, Sajad Lone, said that the PAGD would present a document, at the next meeting in Jammu in two weeks, on the “lies that are being spread against the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” “The white paper will compare the reality and the false propaganda on the ground,” Lone said.
Both Congress and the BJP condemned Mehbooba’s remarks on Friday. While Congress advised Mehbooba to desist from such remarks, the BJP demanded his arrest and party activists burned effigies of the Mufti for “insulting the national flag.”
“Our relationship with the flag of this country is not independent of this flag (the Jammu and Kashmir flag). When this flag reaches our hands, we will also carry that flag, ”Mehbooba said Friday.
However, JKPCC chief spokesman Ravinder Sharma added that Congress is in favor of restoring J & K’s special status and that J&K should revert to being a single state that includes Ladakh. “We are not making such an irresponsible statement that it harms the feelings of the Indians,” said Ravinder Sharma.
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