Several political parties, who signed the Gupkar declaration last year in defence of Article 370 and Article 35A, today decided to join forces and form Jammu Kashmir Peoples Alliance after a meeting at the residence of NC president and MP Farooq Abdullah’s residence at Gupkar Road in Srinagar.
The meeting was attended by Abdullah, his son and former J&K chief minister, and NC vice president, Omar Abdullah, PDP president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, J&K People Conference chief Sajad Lone, CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami and representative of J&K Peoples Movement. The Congress didn’t attend the meet though the party is a signatory to the Gupkar declaration, which is a resolution that was signed by several parties last year on August 4 at Farooq ’s residence. It warned that removal of Article 370 would tantamount to aggression against the people of J&K.
Addressing reporters after the meeting at his residence, Abdullah, flanked by Mehbooba, Omar, Tarigami and Lone, said, “Today they met to greet and congratulate Mehbooba ji who was released from detention after 14 long months. It was a totally illegal, unjustified and unconstitutional internment.’’
He said the meeting demanded that all those people who are still in prison must be released immediately.
“Thirdly, the formal name of this alliance will be Peoples Alliance for Gupkar declaration,’’ he said.
“Our battle is a constitutional battle. We want the Government of India to return to the people of the state, the rights they held on August 5, 2019.”
He said the political issue of the state has to be resolved as quickly as possible through dialogue and peaceful means, with all the stakeholders who are involved in the problem of J&K.
“Further, we are also going to meet very soon and meet people from other regions so that we have a broader discussion with people about the issue,” he said.
Today’s meeting took place two days after the release of the PDP president.
Abdullah and Omar, on Wednesday, met Mehbooba at her residence a day after her release.
The formation of an alliance by political parties in Kashmir is the most significant development in Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370.
It is believed that the alliance would pose a serious challenge to the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir as Congress is likely to back the alliance and its demands, except the restoration of Article 370.
The Congress has already passed a resolution in support of the restoration of the statehood to J&K.
The new alliance is also likely to pose a challenge to the J&K Apni Party that was formed by former PDP leader and minister Altaf Bukhari with the backing of the BJP after the abrogation of Article 370.
The alliance is likely to garner support in Jammu, especially in the Muslim majority areas of Chenab valley and Pir Panjal.
The alliance could also fight the elections together which are likely to be held after the completion of the delimitation commission in May 2021.
