Updated: October 15, 2020 7:37:57 pm
The President of the National Conference, Farooq Abdullah, the former CM Omar Abdullah and the President of the PDP, Mehbooba Mufti, address the press after the meeting of the Gupkar signatories (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
At their first meeting since the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the signatories to the Gupkar Declaration formed a new alliance on Thursday with the aim of restoring J & K’s constitutional status as it existed prior to August 5 last year.
“We have named this alliance the People’s Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration. Our battle is a constitutional battle and we want the Government of India to return to the people of the State the rights they had before August 5, 2019. Our goal is to restore the constitutional status of J&K as it existed before August 5 of the year past, ”former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said after the meeting of the signatories.
Parties including NC, PDP, CPI (M), PC, JKPM and ANC are part of the newly formed alliance.
The head of the National Conference added that the alliance favors the beginning of dialogue between all interested parties for the resolution of the J&K problem.
The meeting was held at Abdullah’s residence days after PPD leader Mehbooba Mufti was released from detention. In attendance were Mufti, the President of the Peoples ‘Conference, Sajad Lone, the leader of the Peoples’ Movement, Javaid Mir, and the leader of the CPIM, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami.
The meeting was held at the residence of Farooq Abdullah (Express photo by Shuaib Masoodi)
The Gupkar Declaration was issued on August 4, 2019, after a meeting of Kashmir’s main political parties at the Gupkar residence of Farooq Abdullah unanimously resolved to stand together to protect and “defend identity, autonomy and status. Jammu and Kashmir special. “
The special status of the then J&K state was removed the next day, and the state was divided into two Union Territories. A crackdown followed and top political leaders were detained under the Public Security Act (PSA).
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti attended the meeting. She was released two days ago.
On August 22 of this year, the main political parties of the Valley issued a joint statement reiterating their commitment to fight for the restoration of J & K’s special status.
Mehbooba, who was in custody at the time, had given the green light to the resolution through a phone call with Major Abdullah. The resolution had promised to adhere to the Gupkar Declaration.
The most important message from the union of J&K political parties is its statement that “your political activities will be subordinate to the sacred goal of returning to the state of J&K as it existed on August 4, 2019.”
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