NEW DELHI: The Union home minister Amit Shah hit out at newly-formed Gupkar Alliance, a coalition of J&K political parties, calling it an "unholy gathbandhan" against the national interest.
In a series of tweets, Shah accused the political parties of seeking intervention of foreign forces in J&K and disrespecting the Indian tri-colour. Shah alleged that the Congress and the Gupkar Gang want to take Jammu and Kashmir back to the era of terror and turmoil.
The Union minister cited Gupkar alliance leaders' remarks to seek international help to restore Article 370 and sought an answer from Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to explain if they supported them.
However, the Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala later clarified that the party is not a part of the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). The party's statement read, "Congress party is not a part of Gupkar alliance or People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. To spread lies, fraud and creating new illusions have become the way of the Modi government."
Hitting out at the Modi government, the Congress leader further stated, "It's a shame that home minister Amit Shah is keeping aside the responsibility of the national security and is making false, misleading and mischievous statements on Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh."
While asserting that Congress favours democratic elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the statement confirmed that INC is contesting the District Development Council elections.
Taking to Twitter, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah hit back at Shah on his tweet, describing the Gupkar alliance of seven political parties as “Gupkar Gang”.
In her rebuttal, Mufti said, “Fighting elections in an alliance is also anti-national now. BJP can stitch as many alliances in its hunger for power but somehow we are undermining national interest by putting up a united front.”
“Love jihad, tukde tukde and now Gupkar Gang dominates the political discourse instead of rising unemployment and inflation,” she added.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah also slammed the BJP saying that only in J&K can leaders be detained and called anti-national for participating in elections supporting the democratic process.
“We are not a “gang” Amit Shah ji, we are a legitimate political alliance having fought and continuing to fight elections, much to your disappointment,” Abdullah said, referring to his tweet.
The exchange of tweets comes ahead of J&K's maiden polls for the District Development Council from November 26.