Amit Shah says 'Gupkar gang' wants to take J&K back to era of terror, sharp reactions from Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday termed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) an “unholy global alliance” and alleged that it, along with the Congress, wants to take J&K back to the era of terror and turmoil. In a series of tweets, Shah alleged that the “Gupkar Gang is going global” and wants foreign forces to intervene in Jammu and Kashmir.

The conglomerate of regional and national political parties in Jammu and Kashmir was formed to defend 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 the rights of Dalits, women and tribals that we have ensured by removing Article 370. This is why they’re being rejected by people everywhere,” Shah said.



He said Jammu and 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 added.


The home minister also wanted to know whether Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were supporting the 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.


The comments drew sharp reaction from former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. Omar Abdullah, who is also the vice-president of the National Conference, said, “We are not a gang Amit Shah ji, we are a legitimate political alliance having fought and continuing to fight elections, much to your disappointment”.


Taking a veiled dig at the newly-formed Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, Omar said, “I can understand the frustration behind this attack by the Home Minister. He had been briefed that the People’s Alliance was preparing to boycott elections. This would have allowed the BJP and newly formed King’s party a free run in J&K. We didn’t oblige them.”


He said that only leaders in Jammu and Kashmir can be detained and called anti-national for participating in elections and supporting the democratic process. “The truth is, all those who oppose the ideology of the BJP are labelled ‘corrupt and anti-national’,” he tweeted.


Mufti accused the BJP of double standards when it comes to election. “Fighting elections in an alliance is also anti-national now. BJP can stitch as many alliances in its hunger for power but somehow we are undermining national interest by putting up a united front. Love jihad, tukde tukde & now Gupkar Gang dominates the political discourse instead of rising unemployment & inflation,” she said in a series of tweets.