NEW DELHI: Union Minister Amit Shah today hit out at the political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir with a string of accusations that included getting “foreign forces to intervene” in the issue of scrapping of Article 370 and bringing back “terror and turmoil” in the Union Territory. In a series of tweets, he also targeted the Congress — which had also signed the Gupkar Declaration in 2019 — asking the party to clarify its position on the issue.
“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,” his tweet read.
“Gupkar gang” is a reference to the “People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration”, a group of key political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir — including Farooq Abdullah, his arch-rival Mehbooba Mufti and Sajjad Lone — who came together to fight for the restoration of Article 370 and the resolution of Kashmir.
“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,” another tweet read.
The Gupkar Declaration was signed on August 4, 2019, after an all-party meeting at the Gupkar Road residence Natinal Conference patriarch Farooq Abdullah. It marked a resolution of attending regional parties and the Congress to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and fight against any move to dilute it.
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