New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday asserted that it was not a part of the Gupkar alliance and was contesting the district development council elections in Jammu and Kashmir to “expose” the BJP through democratic means.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a statement that the party was against any foreign intervention in the internal affairs of India, including in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Congress party is not part of the ‘Gupkar Alliance’ or the ‘People’s Association for Gupkar Declaration’,” he said in a statement.
Surjewala attacked Home Minister Amit Shah and accused him and other ministers of the Modigovernment of making “mischievous” statements and trying to push a “fake narrative” by making baseless assertions on Jammu and Kashmir.
His reaction came after the BJP targeted the Congress, saying it should make clear if it agrees with the “anti-national” views of the NC and the PDP.
Shah on Tuesday said the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is an “unholy global alliance” that along with the Congress wants to return to the era of “terror and turmoil”.
The PAGD which has several Jammu and Kashmir parties as its constituents is pressing for restoration of J-K’s special status and statehood.
In the statement, Surjewala said, “The Congress favors democratic elections in Jammu and Kashmir and for this purpose the Congress Party is contesting the District Development Council (DDC) polls to expose the anti-people face of the BJP in a democratic manner.”
Local Congress leaders in J-K have maintained that they are not part of the Gupkar Alliance and are only going for a seat-sharing arrangement for the DDC polls.
Surjewala also said that the Congress leadership has written the tradition of sacrifice for the country with its blood and it does not need lessons on nationalism or sacrifice from the BJP.
“The Congress party will never accept that the identity, integrity or tricolor of the nation will be put to any harm. Nor has the Congress accepted nor will it accept any foreign interference in the internal affairs of India including Jammu and Kashmir. The glorious history of India for 70 years is a witness to this resolve of the Congress,” he said.
Surjewala said the Congress was committed to India’s identity, integrity and sovereignty, and that of the tricolour.
“Maybe Amit Shah and the Modi government need a new lesson on nationalism because their parental organisation, RSS, did not hoist the tricolour for 52 years after independence at its headquarters,” he alleged.
Surjewala said the BJP is criticising the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP without realising that they had shared power with them in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Congress leader also asked Shah who was responsible for the release of Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar, released along with two others in exchange for the passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814 in Kandahar in December 1999.
“The BJP is trying to spread lies and create illusions and this has become the face and character of the Modigovernment,” Surjewala alleged.
Congress leader Ajay Maken also asked why the BJP was attacking the PDP after it shared power with it in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the PDP was good for the BJP as long as it allied with it and became its enemy and “anti-national” the moment they broke the alliance.
“What moral authority does the BJP have to ask the Congress when they themselves have formed a government with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir,” Maken said.
Surjewala said instead of resorting to fake rhetoric, the BJP government should chase out China from Indian land and take responsibility of giving a befitting reply to Pakistan.
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