News Analysis India

Tag: Gupkar Alliance

  • Gupkar Alliance writes to President, seeks judicial probe into Hyderpora encounter

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: The head of the six-party Gupkar Alliance on Article 370 restoration and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking a judicial probe into the Hyderpora encounter in which four persons including two businessmen from Srinagar were killed.

    “The tragic incident that took place at Hyderpora, Srinagar, on the evening of November 15 has evoked enormous public anger. In this unfortunate incident, three civilians got killed in suspicious circumstances,” reads the letter written by  Farooq Abdullah to the President on Thursday.

    “The incident calls for a time-bound judicial probe so that facts are unraveled and brought in the public domain,” reads the letter adding, “Needless to state that such unfortunate incidents widen the gulf between people of Jammu and Kashmir and the Government of India and, therefore, are to be avoided at any cost.”

    “We would remind Your Excellency that the administration of J&K is being run in the name of Your Excellency by the Lt. Governor acting as an agent and therefore, an onerous responsibility is placed on your Excellency to ensure that the rule of law prevails and the involved erring officials are brought to book and punished under law,” further reads the letter.

    According to police, four persons including a Pakistani militant Haider Bhai, his associate Amir Magray (from Ramban), OWG Dr Mudasir Gul and building owner Altaf Bhat were killed in the Hyderpora encounter.

    The families of Amir, Mudasir and Altaf contested the police claim and alleged that it was a staged encounter and their wards were innocent and not connected with militancy. They also demanded the return of the bodies.

    After the hue and cry and public anger, authorities handed over the bodies of Mudasir and Altaf to their families for burial last night while Amir’s body has not yet been handed over to his family.

    Police had on Tuesday evening buried the bodies of all four killed in the incident in a graveyard at Handwara in north Kashmir, about 100 km from Srinagar.

    Abdullah, the Lok Sabha MP, further informed the President in the letter of the practice of taking away bodies of the victims of such incidents and depriving their families of the right to organise their burial in accordance with religious practices.

    “Your Excellency, the right to decent burial is well recognized in the Constitution of India as well as in the international humanitarian law. The dead bodies cannot be denied the right to burial under any circumstances including the so-called law and order problem. The bereaved families likewise also have a right to organise burial of the dead body in accordance with their religious practices,” reads the letter.  

    “In the last few years such rights have been violated with impunity. In the present case (Hyderpora incident) these rights are being denied. We would request Your Excellency to intervene in the matter and ensure that the dead bodies are returned to their families so that they can perform their last rites in accordance with their respective religious practices,” reads the letter and termed it a matter of grave concern calling for urgent action.

  • Gupkar resolution urges Modi government to restore Article 370

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  The Gupkar Alliance on Tuesday passed resolution, demanding the restoration of Article 370.

    The joint declaration said the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A has created a big political void and deep uncertainty in J&K, and asserted nothing substantial has emerged after PM Modi’s Dilli ki Doori and Dil ki Doori slogan during the all-party meeting in June.

    The top leadership and second rung leaders and workers of the six-party alliance met at Farooq Abdullah’s Gupkar residence in Srinagar for the first time after formation of the grouping in October 2020.

    Over 100 party workers and second rung leaders of Gupkar Alliance constituent parties attended the meeting during which PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami reiterated their commitment to fighting for the abrogated articles’ restoration.

    They also said that “It is most unfortunate that judicial challenges against abrogation of Article 370 continue to remain pending before Supreme Court even after two years”. 

    “The suppression of civil liberties and democratic rights continues unabated.  

    Attack on democratic rights under draconian laws like UAPA/PSA continues as hundreds of people remain under detention without even charges being framed.

    New orders are being passed like non-clearance for passports and government services to anyone involved in ‘law and order’ or ‘stone pelting cases’.  

    This negates the principle of natural justice by equating a police report with being guilty and being denied all these services,” the joint resolution of the alliance read.

  • Jammu & Kashmir: Gupkar alliance likely to meet on Tuesday at Farooq Abdullah’s residence

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration is likely to meet here on Tuesday to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and have wider consultations on the way forward. The PAGD is an alliance of six mainstream political parties seeking the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, which was revoked by the Centre in August 2019.

    A leader said the meeting will take place at alliance chairman Farooq Abdullah’s residence at Gupkar here at 11 am. “This meeting will be a different one from the earlier ones. This time it is not only the top leadership of the constituent parties which has been invited for consultations but the middle rung leadership as well,” he said.

    The leader said that it has been left to the alliance parties to select the party leaders for the meeting. “The participants will be from the length and breadth of the Valley and we expect around 150-200 leaders to take part in the meeting,” he said.

    He said that the meeting has been called to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir and “have wider consultations on various issues”. “It (the meeting) will discuss the way forward and it is the first such attempt in the Kashmir valley by the alliance to get a broader perspective on the issues. We wanted to have this kind of consultation before but various factors like Covid prevented such a gathering,” the leader added.

  • ED summon to Mehbooba Mufti’s mother smacks of vindictiveness: Gupkar alliance

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  The Gupkar Alliance has termed the ED summon to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s mother as “highly humiliating” alleging it is nothing but part of vindictive policies “to silence the genuine demand for the reversal of unilateral and unconstitutional decisions of August 5, 2019”.

    Gupkar Alliance spokesman and CPI(M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said summoning of Mehooba’s mother and widow of former Union Home Minister late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed by the ED is highly humiliating and there are not enough words to condemn such coercive acts.

    Mehbooba’s mother Gulshan Nazir has been directed by the ED to appear for questioning in a money laundering case at its zonal office at Rajbagh on July 14. The summon warned that in case she fails to appear, she would be liable to penal proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED summon to Gulshan was issued hours after PDP declined to meet the visiting Delimitation Commission.

    Tarigami said muzzling the voices of dissent by using probe agencies against political opponents is unacceptable.  “This is nothing but part of vindictive policies to suppress dissent and disagreement and to silence the genuine demand for the reversal of unilateral and unconstitutional decisions of August 5, 2019,” the  CPI(M) leader said. 

  • Gupkar Alliance unhappy with outcome of All-Party Meeting chaired by PM Modi

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: In its first joint statement since the June 24 meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, the Gupkar Alliance Monday asserted that Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir should be held only after restoration of statehood. The six-party alliance expressed disappointment at the outcome of the All-Party Meeting (APM) chaired by the PM saying “whatever little hope we had was not fulfilled and no assurance was given and no CBMs (confidence building measures) announced”.

    “All the PAGD (Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration) members expressed their disappointment at the outcome of Delhi meeting, especially at the absence of any substantial CBMs like release of prisoners and taking concrete steps to end the siege and atmosphere of suppression that has choked J&K since 2019,” Alliance spokesman and CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said in a statement.

    The Alliance leaders met at chairman Farooq Abdullah’s residence at Srinagar on Sunday evening to deliberate on the APM. “No assurance was given. No message was received by the people on CBMs,” Tarigami said, adding that “the Centre should respond to our suggestions and take some CBMs to restore trust and faith”.

    On restoration of statehood, he said both PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had promised to do so within and outside Parliament. “Why they have not fulfilled the promise so far is our concern,” he said.Tarigami said the PAGD does not want Delhi-type statehood but restoration of the pre-August 2019 status. Assembly election must be held only after restoration of full statehood to J&K. “To make the election process credible, the Centre should restore statehood to J&K,” he added.

    Asked whether the Gupkar Alliance would meet the Delimitation Commission which will begin its four-day visit on Tuesday, Tarigami said political parties that are part of the Gupkar Alliance will take their own decision on this.

  • J&K’s Gupkar alliance wants Assembly elections only after restoration of statehood

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The Gupkar alliance leaders, who met to discuss the deliberations at the June 24 all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, have expressed disappointment at the outcome. They also want Assembly elections to be held only after restoration of statehood.

    The Gupkar leaders met at NC president Farooq Abdullah’s residence at Gupkar, Srinagar, on Sunday evening. The meeting was attended by vice-chairperson Mehbooba Mufti, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi, Javed Mustafa Mir and Muzaffar Ahmed Shah.

    The meeting was convened to discuss the recent all-party meeting chaired by the PM in Delhi on 24th June. At least 14 J&K leaders including four from the Gupkar alliance attended the meeting, which was the Centre’s first political outreach to J&K leaders after the scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K state on August 5, 2019.

    “All members of PAGD expressed their disappointment at the outcome of the Delhi meeting especially at the absence of any substantial Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) including release of prisoners and taking concrete steps to end the siege and atmosphere of suppression that has choked J&K since 2019,” a statement issued by the alliance said.

    It stated that the CBMs would have initiated the much needed process of reaching out to the people of J&K who are the biggest stakeholders and sufferers.

    Referring to restoration of statehood, the Gupkar alliance said it has been the BJP’s commitment on the floor of parliament and they must honour their word.

    “So any assembly election must be held only after restoration of full statehood for J&K. To this end, the PAGD has decided to reach out to other political parties in J&K with a view to take a common position on the issue,” the statement stated.

    The Gupkar alliance, which was formed by seven parties (one of which has quit the alliance), in October 2020 to fight for restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, reiterated its commitment to fight together to reverse “unconstitutional and unacceptable changes” foisted on J&K people on August 5, 2019 using all constitutional, legal and political means at its disposal.

    “PAGD’s struggle for undoing these changes will continue for as long as it takes while striving to achieve this objective as early as possible,” added the statement.

  • 14 political leaders from J-K to attend all-party meeting with PM Modi

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: As many as 14 prominent leaders from Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to attend the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

    This is the first high-level interaction between the Centre and political leadership mainly from Kashmir since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and the state was bifurcated into two union territories.

    Among the leaders who are scheduled to participate in the meeting are Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tara Chand and GA Mir; National Conference’s Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah; PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, J-K Apni Party’s Altaf Bukhari; BJP’s Ravinder Raina, Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta; CPI(M)’s M Y Tarigami; National Panthers Party’s Prof Bheem Singh; and Peoples Conference’s Sajad Gani Lone.

    Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Home Secretary would also attend the meeting.

    Political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti and BJP leaders Ravinder Raina and Kavinder Gupta arrived in New Delhi to attend the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    It is learnt from reliable sources that no fixed agenda has been set for the meeting and a freewheeling discussion is expected on June 24.

    However, delimitation, statehood and assembly elections are expected to remain key issues for discussion at the all-party meeting.

    Although the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has agreed to attend the meeting, its leaders especially the Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said that they will ask New Delhi to restore Article 370 and 35 A.

    Earlier today, ahead of the meeting with the Prime Minister, Apni Party chief Syed Altaf Bukhari welcomed the all-party meet with Prime Minister Modi and said, “I look at it as a positive development. The Prime Minister had started a process on March 14, 2020, when a delegation of the Apni Party met him and now he has called an all-party meeting. It is a welcome step.”

    Meanwhile, a day before the all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday held virtual discussions with its representatives in Jammu and Kashmir and deputy commissioners regarding the delimitation of the 90 Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory.

    The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019 was notified by the government on August 9, 2019, which paved the way for the creation of two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, which will have a legislature and Ladakh, without it.

    The Act provides that the number of seats in the legislative assembly of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be increased from 107 to 114, and delimitation of the constituencies will be determined by the Election Commission. 

  • ‘Gupkar Alliance gains relevance courtesy APM’

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  The All-Party Meeting (APM) to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday has given relevance to the six-party Gupkar Alliance, which was being termed as ‘Gupkar Gang’ by the BJP till now. Also, the Centre may offer some concessions, including release of prisoners, at the Delhi meeting as a confidence building measure, political observers opined.

    Political commentator Noor Mohammad Baba said the APM has once again given relevance to Gupkar alliance and other regional leaders. After discrediting them following abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the Centre is now doing business with them, he said. Three of the four ex-CMs invited for the talks, including Farooq and Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, were detained and booked under Public Safety Act. Another invitee, Sajjad Lone, was also among the mainstream leaders detained.

    According to Baba, the APM is also the Centre’s admission that it has not been able to shape up the situation in Kashmir the way it wanted after Article 370 revocation. “The invitation to Gupkar alliance leaders is an admission of failure to dislodge or sideline them and create an alternate leadership,” he said. Another political commentator echoed the same views. “Although the Centre wanted to create an alternate leadership through DDC polls, that attempt failed and they had to reach out to the mainstream leaders for reviving the political process,” he said.

    He added that with the Gupkar alliance set to demand Article 370 restoration at the APM, other leaders from Kashmir will be forced to support that as they have to compete with each other on the ground. Some of these leaders, including Altaf Bukhari, had advocated moving beyond Article 370.

    Baba said that the Centre may offer some concession at the APM. “It could be statehood, modification of provisions of domicile law, release of prisoners etc.”  Without something substantial to offer, the Centre would not have convened the meeting, he added. 

  • After Gupkar Alliance, now Congress to participate in all-party meeting convened by PM Modi

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The Congress will attend the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday, its Jammu and Kashmir unit spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said on Tuesday.

    The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said.

    The meeting was attended by former prime minister Manmohan Singh and senior leaders Karan Singh, P Chidambaram, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rajni Patil, G A Mir and Tariq Hameed Karra, the spokesperson said.

    Fourteen leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have been invited to the meeting to be chaired by the prime minister to discuss the future course of action for the union territory.

    Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president G A Mir and party leader and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad are among the invitees.

    The meeting is the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and its bifurcation into union territories on August 5, 2019.

    Congress’ declaration come safter the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) said it will attend the all-party meetingon Thursday, as per a statement by alliance chairperson Farooq Abdullah.

    The announcement came after PAGD leaders met at Abdullah’s Gupkar Road residence here on Tuesday to discuss the Centre’s invitation to leaders from Jammu and Kashmir.

    “We have received the invitation from the prime minister and we are going to attend (the meeting),” Abdullah, who was flanked by other leaders of the alliance, told reporters after the meeting.

    Fourteen leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have been invited to the meeting to be chaired by the prime minister to discuss the future course of action for the union territory.

    The meeting is the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and its bifurcation into union territories on August 5, 2019.

    The PAGD chairperson said the alliance was confident that it would be able to put its stand before the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister during the meeting at New Delhi.

    “When the meeting ends, we will brief you here as well as in Delhi on what we did there, what we said and what was their response,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference president said.

    Asked what would be the stand of the alliance, Abdullah said, “You all know our stand and there is no need to repeat it.”

    “Whatever our stand was, is still there and will be there,” he added.

    Various constituents of the PAGD have approached the Supreme Court with a petition asking for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its statehood.

    The PAGD is a six-party alliance of mainstream parties which came into existence after the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370.

    Abdullah said all those invited will attend the meeting.

    “(PDP chief) Mehbooba ji, me, (CPI-M leader) Tarigami sahab and all those who have been invited from us (the alliance), will go,” he said.

    As the invitation is to individual leaders of various parties “they all will go and all will speak there”, the NC leader added.

    Asked about the agenda of the meeting, Abdullah said “no agenda has been pitched from their side (the Centre)”.

    “We can talk about any issue there,” he added.

    The alliance’s vice-chairperson and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti reiterated her party’s stand and said that she would press for the restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir along with statehood.

    “We will talk on what has been snatched away from us, that it was a mistake and it was an illegal and unconstitutional act, without restoring which, the issue of J-K and the situation in J-K and peace in the whole region cannot be established,” Mehbooba said.

    Talking to reporters, PAGD spokesman and CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami also hinted at seeking the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir during the meeting with the prime minister.

    “We will not ask for the stars, but will seek what has been ours and should be ours only. As we have no information on the agenda of the meeting called by the PM, we will reiterate the stand of the PAGD there, before the highest leadership,” he said.

    The CPI(M) leader said the meeting with the prime minister was an opportunity and assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh that the leaders were going to Delhi to “advocate on their behalf”.

    “We will advocate in that court on the behalf of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. We will appeal to the PM of India about safeguarding the guarantees under the Constitution, which we have been given before, and to reconsider them,” he said, apparently referring to the erstwhile state’s special status.

    Tarigami said there should be no misconception among the people that the alliance leaders were going to sign on to the agenda set by the Centre.

    “No, we are not. We are going to see what proposal the PM of India has. If it is in our interest, the interest of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, then we will say yes and if otherwise, there is going to be a big no,” he said.

    Another PAGD member and Awami National Conference (ANC) senior vice president Muzaffar Shah said, “There can be no compromise on Article 370 and Article 35A,” which were revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019.

    Shah is not among the invitees to the meeting.

    According to officials, the prime minister’s scheduled meeting with leaders from Jammu and Kashmir is part of the Centre’s initiatives to bolster political processes, including holding assembly elections, in the union territory.

  • PAGD to meet Tuesday to discuss invite for June 24 meeting with PM Modi

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) will meet here Tuesday to discuss the Centre’s invitation to mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir for an all-party meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 24, a leader of the grouping said.

    The PAGD is an alliance of six parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC and the PDP, formed in the aftermath of the Centre’s August 2019 decision to nullify Article 370 and split J&K into two union territories.

    “The alliance meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at 11 am,” a PAGD leader told PTI.

    He said the meeting would take place at the Gupkar residence of National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, who is also the chairman of the alliance.

    The leader said the alliance members would discuss the Centre’s invitation to mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir for the talks.

    PAGD spokesman and senior CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami confirmed the meeting of the alliance is scheduled to take place on Tuesday to discuss the invitation.

    “The process of discussions is on and we are meeting on Tuesday to finalise (the decision on the invitation). We will let our decision known afterwards,” he said.

    Invitations have been sent out to 14 political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir including four former CMs for a high-level meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24 which is expected to set the roadmap for holding assembly elections in the UT.

    The PM’s meeting with the political parties from Jammu and Kashmir is part of the Centre’s initiatives to bolster political processes, including holding assembly elections, in the union territory.

    Asked if the member parties of the PAGD have left the decision on whether to participate in the PM’s meeting to the alliance, the PAGD leader quoted above said the constituents were part of the “larger alliance” and will discuss the issue together.

    “See, the invitations have been sent to individual leaders and not to the alliance and not even to parties to send their representatives. But, as we happen to be together as the constituents of the larger alliance, so, we will discuss the issue together as well,” he said.

    He added that a united approach will be “good for the health of our society and our politics”.

    “There would be a commonality in our approach this way. That is what is required,” he said.

    A leader from the NC said the parties have left the decision on the participation in the PM’s meet to the alliance.

    “See, it is not only about a meeting with the PM. There has to be a discussion on the stand to be taken, the way forward and other such things. While the intra-party consultative process will continue, the PAGD will meet and discuss the issue collectively,” he said.