Posing a challenge to the J&K administration, National Conference (NC) president and Member of Parliament (MP) Farooq Abdullah has called for an all-party meeting in Srinagar on August 5, in an apparent move to revive the Gupkar Declaration signed on August 4, 2019.
“Yes, Dr. Abdullah has called for a meeting,” an NC spokesman told The Hindu.
Party sources said Dr. Abdullah, at whose residence the Gupkar Declaration was agreed upon by all the regional parties last year, extended an invite to the Peoples Democratic Party, the Peoples Conference, the J&K Peoples Movement, the Peoples Democratic Front, the Awani National Conference, the Congress and the CPI(M).
“The crucial meeting at Dr. Abdullah’s residence will deliberate over the prevailing political mess across J&K from August 5, 2019. A future strategy will be chalked out,” NC sources said.
The Declaration pledged to put up a joint front to defend the special status of J&K.
Sources said a PDP leader, Sajad Lone, Muzaffar Shah, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, M.Y. Tarigami and Shah Faesal are likely to attend the meeting.
Security beefed up
However, police sources said security around the houses of a number of political leaders in Kashmir has been beefed up.
“The gate of my residence has been closed by a police van,” said ANC senior vice-president Muzaffar Shah.
A PC spokesman said the decisions taken on and after August 5 “were not acceptable to people”.
CPI(M) leader Tarigami said the moves for delimitation of the constituencies and the notification issued for new domicile rules “amount to undermine the unity of the people of different regions and communities”. “The aim is to redesign the ‘Union Territory’ by changing its demography.”