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NEW DELHI: In what appears to be a rethink in the wake of BJP’s attacks that Congress was allying with “anti-national” forces, the opposition party on Tuesday said it was not a part of the Gupkar Alliance of Kashmir Valley parties and accused the saffron rival of spreading misinformation.
Within days of being part of the Gupkar Alliance for the forthcoming district council polls in J&K, Congress did an about turn, possibly concerned over being tagged with the National Conference and PDP over issues such as internationalisation of the dispute with Pakistan and the role of third party negotiations.
The remarks of NC leader Farooq Abdullah about seeking China’s help and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti about not holding the tricolour — both later amended their statements — deepened the unease in Congress over the likely fallout of such associations in the rest of India and even Jammu.
Congress accused home minister Amit Shah of spreading lies about Congress which it said had a long history of sacrifices for the country. It said Shah was trying to wash his and his government’s hands off the Chinese aggression in J&K and Ladakh.
Party spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, “Congress is not part of the Gupkar Alliance or People’s Association for Gupkar Declaration… Congress believes in democratic elections in J&K and that is why it is contesting District Development Council elections so that BJP can be exposed.”
Congress leaders in J&K have said there is a seat sharing pact as part of the seven party front. Strongly refuting the allegations levelled by Shah, the state party unit said it was neither part of PAGD nor had participated in any of its meetings or deliberations. “Congress has entered seat sharing exercise at certain local places in various districts for DDC polls,” it added.
Surjewala said it was time BJP answered why it ran a government for over three years with Mehbooba Mufti whom Shah was criticising today and how China managed to intrude into Indian territory in Ladakh. He said the home minister should answer who gave permission to the dreaded Masrat Alam to hoist the Pakistani flag in Srinagar in April 2015.
He said Congress’s history was replete with sacrifices for the national cause, starting with Mahatma Gandhi and those of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sardar Beant Singh. On the contrary, he said BJP and RSS had never accepted the tricolour and were aligned with the British empire during the freedom struggle.
