News Analysis India

Tag: PAGD

  • PAGD Formed To Oppose Abrogation Of Article 370 In J&K Has Been Disbanded: Mehbooba Mufti |

    SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday accused the National Conference (NC) of reducing the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to a “joke” after the Farooq Abdullah-led party unilaterally decided to contest all three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir. The PAGD alliance in Jammu and Kashmir has been disbanded, she said. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti also announced that she will move forward independently. She attributed the demise of the PAGD to the National Conference.

    Hours after National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah stated that there would be no alliance with the PDP for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti shifted the decision-making responsibility to the Congress, which is part of the INDIA bloc. She mentioned that a decision would be made after consulting with the party.

    During a press conference at the party headquarters in Srinagar, Mehbooba expressed her disappointment with the NC’s decision, stating that they had achieved what the BJP could not by damaging the PAGD ( People’s Alliance for Gupkar Deceleration). She also indicated that discussions with Congress were forthcoming, and a decision would be made soon. “I am a fighter. We will engage with Congress on this matter and announce our decision soon,” she stated.

    Earlier, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah had remarked, “The situation has excluded the PDP, not the National Conference.” He questioned how they could abandon south Kashmir for the PDP, which placed third in the last LS polls. “They (PDP) speak of alliances but only target NC in their rallies and tweets,” Omar added.

    No understanding of seat sharing in Lok Sabha elections has put two big political parties of Jammu and Kashmir face to face, which will benefit BJP in Jammu and Kashmir in forthcoming parliamentary elections. 

  • PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti says Centre fears unity of PAGD alliance

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said it is no rocket science to understand why NC president Farooq Abdullah was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate as she said the Centre “fears” the unity of leaders of the PAGD alliance.

    “Is there a need to say anything? Do you need rocket science to understand why Farooq sahib has been summoned? The Government of India fears the Gupkar Alliance. They fear that if we come together, their sinister plan about Jammu and Kashmir will fail,” she told reporters here when asked to comment on the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) summon to Abdullah, who is also the president of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).

    Mehbooba noted that political parties in Jammu and Kashmir will have to find their space in such a situation to defeat “their nefarious designs”.

    “We have to work in the space there is. We tried many a times to protest against the excesses, but you know, my (residence) gates are locked. I wanted to visit the home of a Kashmiri Pandit who was injured, but I am not allowed. We will have to find our space in this situation and defeat their nefarious designs. They (Centre) will not allow any other space to us. They fear our political activities. They did not leave anything to defame us,” she said.

    The PDP leader underlined the need to get united and “resist” as there was “a danger that they will try to erase our existence”.

    “The orders that are coming from Delhi after August 5, 2019, it seems our jobs and lands resources are for sale. So, unless we get united and resist, there is a danger that they will try to erase our existence,” she said.

    She added that the Centre was making tall claims across the world that everything is fine in Jammu and Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370, but the ground situation has not improved.

    “You cover someone’s mouth with tape and shackle them, then say he is not shouting. How will he shout? The way the blood is being shed in Kashmir — be it Rahul Bhat, Saifullah Qadri, Shoaib Ganie or Amreen Bhat — such incidents are taking place on a daily basis,” she said.

    The former chief minister also claimed that the BJP’s policies were pushing the Kashmiri youth towards militancy.

    “Everyday, youth are leaving their homes because of the atmosphere the BJP has created and are joining militancy because of the anger. Then they are killed after a few days. So, everywhere the blood of Kashmiris is being spilled — be it Muslims, Hindus or Sikhs.

    “Perhaps, it is because of this bloodshed, the BJP is getting votes in the rest of the country by telling the people what they are doing in Kashmir. But, this policy will not work and they will have to work on the healing touch policy of (former PM) (A B) Vajpayee and (former chief minister) Mufti (Mohammad Sayeed),” she said.

    Mehbooba said her government had withdrawn FIRs against many youth, but they are now being arrested and sent to outside jails.

    “The parents of these youth are poor and cannot go to meet them there. When we (PAGD leaders) met the L-G (Manoj Sinha) over the issue of Kashmiri Pandits, I told him that his policy in J-K that if someone says something, he is arrested…I told him that if he does not change this policy, then the situation in J-K will not improve,” she said.

    About a resolution passed by the Jamiat-Ulama-Hind against the uniform civil code, she said it was good that the Muslims in the country were getting united.

    “They have put forward their view point. The situation in the country is worsening. Questions are being raised on mosques, they are talking about Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar. In such a situation, if our people, the Muslims, are getting united, it is a good thing as there should be discussions,” she said.

    Mehbooba also said courts should take suo motto notice of the ‘derogatory’ remarks by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad.

  • Vote only for PAGD allies in the next J-K Assembly polls: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti

    By PTI

    JAMMU: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday urged people to vote for PAGD allies in the next J&K assembly polls to defeat the BJP and its associates, which, she said, were hampering the case of restoration of the Union Territory’s special status in the apex court.

    She also reiterated her call for a peaceful struggle for the restoration of “snatched rights”, saying the August 5, 2019 development was like an earthquake and its aftershocks are still continuing with “this government taking away something on a daily basis from us”.

    The PAGD is a coalition of six parties, including the National Conference, PDP and CPI(M), seeking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under the revoked Article 370 of the Constitution.

    The article was revoked by the Narendra Modi government on August 5, 2019, a decision which has been challenged by many parties in the Supreme court.

    “Whether we stand united or fight separately, you have to vote those who do not betray your vote in the assembly. I request you to take this message to every nook and corner that we have to choose among the PAGD constituents and vote for their candidates,” Mehbooba said addressing a party function at Surankote in Poonch district.

    She said attempts are on to divide the people and the interim report of the delimitation commission was part of the process to pit Hindus versus Muslims, Muslims versus Muslims, Gujjars Vs Pahari- speaking people and one versus other.

    These attempts are aimed at getting enough seats for the BJP and its people so that they can form the next government in J&K and put a stamp on the August 5, 2019 decision to weaken “our case in the Supreme Court”.

    “The talk of an election is premature as the time has not come yet but remember my words. If you do not like PDP (candidate), vote for any other candidate among the PAGD constituent and likewise if the other candidate is not of your liking, vote for the PDP candidate,” she said.

    “You have to make a choice among them only and not vote independents or any other candidate,” the former chief minister said.

    She said her party or National Conference have not lost anything alone but it is the people of the entire J&K who have been deprived of their rights and they have to fight for the restoration of their “snatched rights”.

    Mehbooba said August 5, 2019 was not just a tragedy for the people of Jammu and Kashmir but it struck them like an earthquake.

    “An earthquake ends within a few minutes but we are still being hit by aftershocks. They are still snatching from us on a daily basis to finish our identity, culture and traditions. They are forcibly taking away land from the people,” she said.

    She said the land which was under the occupation of the people for over a century is being taken away to give it to big industrialists in both Jammu and Kashmir regions and the way the government is working, the day is not far when “our youths will not get a foothold to stand up”.

    Mehbooba also criticized the government for the dismissal of state employees on the grounds of supporting militancy and massive raids.

    “They are doing everything to break the backbone of the people of J&K. The unemployment is growing with each passing day and deliberate attempts are being made to make people poorer so that they are silenced and are not able to stand up,” she said.

    She said they want “dead souls” as it suits their narrative of a peaceful atmosphere in J&K which is, in fact, “the silence of a graveyard”.

    “The BJP is behaving like the East India Company and the only difference is that they are from this country. They are selling the national resources at a big loss,” she said, adding “people have to raise their voice in a peaceful manner as Mahatma Gandhi did against the British rule”.

    Referring to the delimitation commission draft proposal to merge Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu with Anantnag Lok Sabha seat in Kashmir, Mehbooba said instead of giving a separate seat to the Rajouri and Poonch districts, they merged it with Anantnag Lok Sabha seat to sow the seeds of hatred among the people of Kashmir and this region.

    “The PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed built Mughal Road to bring the two districts of Rajouri and Poonch closer to Shopian district of Kashmir. They want to create a wedge as both sides would like to have their own Parliament member to represent them and want us to fight each other. There is no other reason,” she said.

    She alleged that they have no pain for the region or Chenab valley.

    “They wanted to have only one face, one dress and one food. The situation could be worse than this if we do not stand up and fight their onslaught as graveyard type of silence suits them,” she said.

    Defending her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s decision to form the previous government with the BJP, Mehbooba said, “It was done to protect Article 370, state flag and constitution under a strategy.

    It took Mufti three months to stitch an alliance with the BJP and the government was formed on our terms.

    “After Mufti’s death, we functioned as per our agenda which was not of their taste as they found us an obstacle in their original plan and the rest is history,” she said.

  • No joint decision taken on participating in proceedings of delimitation commission: PAGD

    The PAGD said no joint decision has been taken over participating in the proceedings of the delimitation commission.

  • PAGD leaders meet in Srinagar, first time after PM Narendra Modi’s all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: A meeting of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was held here on Sunday, the first such meet after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s all-party meeting on Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on June 24.

    The meeting of the leaders of the alliance, which seeks the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir that was revoked by the Centre in August 2019, also came ahead of the visit of the members of the Delimitation Commission to the Union Territory.

    A PAGD leader said the meeting was held at the residence of alliance chairperson and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah at the Gupkar locality of the city here.

    All the leaders of the alliance, including People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, and its chief spokesperson M Y Tarigami, were present at the meeting, he said, adding that NC vice-president Omar Abdullah was also present.

    The leader said it was the first meeting of the alliance after the prime minister’s all-party meeting with the leaders of the mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir in New Delhi on June 24.

    “The meeting was actually scheduled on June 29, but was postponed because of some personal commitments of alliance vice chairperson Mehbooba Mufti. So it was held on Sunday,” he said.

    He said the leaders discussed Modi’s all-party meeting and the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

    “The alliance is committed to its core agenda — for which it was formed — and we reiterated what we stand for and what we seek,” the leader said.

    He, however, refused to share further details, saying the alliance’s chief spokesperson will brief the media about the meeting.

    When contacted, CPI(M) leader Tarigami said the details of the meeting will be shared on Monday.

    Another PAGD leader and NC’s Member of Parliament Hasnain Masoodi said the meeting dispelled the rumours of some differences within the alliance.

    “I can only share that the meeting took place and every member attended it. This should dispel the rumours that were going on. There are no differences within the alliance and everyone is on the same page,” he told PTI.

  • More post-poll convulsions as Sajjad Gani Lone exits Gupkar alliance

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: A simmering disquiet in the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) finally spilled over with People’s Conference (PC) pulling out on Tuesday.

    In a letter to PAGD chairman Farooq Abdullah explaining the reasons for snapping the ties, PC chairman Sajjad Gani Lone said the “breach of trust between partners” was “beyond remedy”. Sajjad  was the convener of the PAGD.

    The PAGD, also known as Gupkar Alliance, was a tie up between NC, PDP, People’s Conference, CPI, CPM, JKPM, and ANC. It was formed in October 2020 to fight for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, which were scrapped by the Centre on August 5, 2019.

    “There has been a breach of trust between partners, which we believe is beyond remedy. The majority view in our party is that we should pull out of the alliance in an amicable manner rather than waiting for things to get messier. We henceforth will no longer be a part of the PAGD,” wrote Sajjad, a former BJP ally. He said the party is divorcing from the alliance, not its objectives.

    “We will continue to adhere to objectives that we set out with when this alliance was made. We will extend support on all issues which fall within the ambit of stated objectives,” he said.

    The leaders of PC, especially influential Shia leader Imran Reza Ansari and party’s senior vice chairman Abdul Gani Lone, were critical of alliance parties fielding proxies during the first-ever DDC polls in J&K.

    The Gupkar Alliance emerged as the single largest group with 110 seats, including PC’s eight seats, while BJP emerged as single largest party with 75 seats.

    The DDC election, he said, was politically very important as it was the first election post August 5.

    “It was less of an election, and more of an opportunity to send a strong political message. On the face of it, PAGD won these elections unambiguously,” he added.

    Trust deficit

    Sajjad said trust between allying partners, who have been rivals all along, can be very elusive and extremely fragile. “But proxies have made it perpetually elusive.” The alliance needed sacrifice on part of constituents, he said

  • Jammu and Kashmir DDC polls: Congress ready to shake hands with Gupkar parties

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The Congress has extended olive branch to the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) ahead of the formation of District Development Councils following the recently concluded DDC polls in the Jammu and Kashmir.

    The Congress said it is ready to support the Gupkar Alliance on a “give and take” basis in forming the DDCs, to keep the BJP and Apni Party away from controlling the DDCs. J&K Congress vice president Ghulam Nabi Monga told this newspaper that there is no question of his party supporting the BJP and Apni Party.

    In the DDC elections held for 280 seats, the PAGD had won 110 seats, BJP-75, independents-50, Congress -26, Apni Party- 12, JKNPP- 2, PDF-2 and BSP-1.

    Monga said his party would be supporting the “secular forces” – PAGD in this case – in forming the DDCs.

    Asked whether the party is in touch with the PAGD, he said, “Till now, nobody has approached us. But we will definitely support secular forces to defeat communal forces.” There are 20 DDCs in J&K – 10 each in Kashmir and Jammu. BJP has wrested control of six DDCs in Jammu. 

    “We will extend support according to our need. We are hopeful of having our chairmen in Poonch, Rajouri and Kishtwar. We will be seeking their (PAGD) help in these three districts and wherever the other side has numbers, we can extend help,” he said. Sources in Congress said the party would help Gupkar Alliance in the Valley and would expect the Alliance to extend similar support in Jammu region.