KARGIL: Union Home Minister Amit Shah had termed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) as ‘Gupkar Gang.’ But his party BJP is sharing power with the National Conference (NC), one of the main parties of PAGD, in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil (LAHDCK).
“Of the 26 elected members of the LAHDCK, 10 are from the NC, eight from the Congress and three from the BJP; there are five Independents. The Ladakh Union Territory administration nominates four members to the 30-member LAHDCK,” Indian Express reported on Thursday (November 19).
When asked about the alliance, BJP’s MP from Ladakh and president of the party’s Ladakh unit, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, was quoted as saying by the newspaper, “BJP coalition mein hai. Khul ke hai, aagey bhi full-fledged rahengey (BJP is in coalition (with NC in Kargil Hill Council). We are in it openly, and will be a full-fledged part of it in future as well). Hum alliance mein hain to hain (That’s the way it is).”
It was a hung verdict in the Kargil Hill Council in 2018, and the NC had an alliance with the Congress. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had two councillors and the BJP one. After the Lok Sabha elections last year, the NC and Congress alliance broke up and the former forged a coalition with PDP and Independent councillors in the Hill Council. Later, the two PDP councillors joined the saffron party and the NC-BJP alliance was created.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Shah asserted that Jammu and Kashmir has been and will always remain an integral part of India and termed the alliance of political parties of the Union Territory as “Gupkar Gang” saying it is an “unholy global gathbandhan” against the country’s national interest.
In a series of tweets, he also questioned Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi whether they support the PAGD, a conglomerate of regional and national political parties in Jammu and Kashmir formed to demand the restoration of the Article 370, scrapped last year.
Shah had said the Congress and “Gupkar Gang” want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to the era of terror and turmoil and 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”.
“The Gupkar Gang is going global! They want foreign forces to intervene in Jammu and Kashmir. 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,” Shah had said.
Reacting to Shah’s comments, in a statement, the NC termed the allegations as a “bout of frustration” on account of PAGD’s participation in the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir. (With inputs from Agencies)
