Gupkar Declaration signatories including PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference president Farooq Abdulla will meet at the latter's Kashmir residence today. They will chalk out the future course of action with regard to the special status of Jammu and Kashmir which was revoked by the Centre last year. Mufti, who was in detention for 14 months, was released on Tuesday.
"My father and I called on Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba to enquire about her well-being after her release from detention," NC vice president Omar Abdullah told reporters. He said the PDP leader has accepted the invitation for the meeting of signatories to the Gupkar Declaration on Thursday. "She has kindly accepted Farooq sahib's invitation to join a meeting of the Gupkar Declaration signatories," Omar said.
What is the Gupkar Declaration?
After an all-party meeting on August 4, 2019 at the Gupkar residence of Farooq Abdullah, all Jammu and Kashmir parties reiterated that they are bound, wholly, by the contents of the 'Gupkar Declaration', a resolution issued. The resolution, which came a day before the Centre announced its decision to revoke Article 370, said the parties unanimously resolved that they would be united in their resolve to protect and defend the identity, autonomy and special status of Jammu and Kashmir against all attacks and onslaughts.
The signatories of the joint statement include NC president Farooq Abdullah, incarcerated PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president G.A. Mir, CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone and Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference senior vice president Muzaffar Shah.
"That modification, abrogation of Articles 35A and 370, unconstitutional delimitation or trifurcation of the state would be an aggression against the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh," it read. On Saturday, over a year later, the parties issued a joint statement saying they adhere to the last year's declaration.
"We all reiterate that we are bound, wholly, by the contents of the Gupkar Declaration and will unwaveringly adhere to it. We are committed to strive for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, the Constitution of J-K and the restoration of the state and any division of the state is unacceptable to us. We unanimously reiterate that there can be 'nothing about us without us'," the statement said.
The statement also lambasted "a series of prohibitive and punitive curbs" imposed by the government, "aimed at impeding all social and political interactions".
Jammu and Kashmir BJP warns against the meeting
Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina reacted sharply to the meeting between Abdullah and Mufti, and warned them of "serious consequences" for conspiring to "bleed Kashmir".
"Farooq and his son Omar Abdullah met Mufti and discussed how to carry forward the Gupkar Agenda, which is the agenda of anti-national elements and an agenda of Pakistan. The people of J-K had nothing to do with this agenda," the Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief said in a statement.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have already "thrown this agenda to the dustbin". "They want to save themselves and hide their sins [under this agenda]. They are making conspiracies and those who are behind conspiracies cannot save themselves," he said. Raina said the people in Jammu and Kashmir want peace and development and upholding of the communal harmony.
"Over the past 70 years, Article 370 have done great injustice with Pakistani refugees, Gujjar and Bakerwal communities, Valmiki and Gorkha communities, women and nationalists and also gave birth to terrorism and separatism in J-K," the BJP leader said, adding that the Article has become history and can never be restored.
-Inputs from agencies
