'Is Forming Political Alliance Anti-national': Mehbooba, Omar Hit Back at Amit Shah Over 'Gupkar Gang' Remark

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah on Tuesday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his ‘Gupkar Gang’ remarks. While the PDP president said such comments were aimed at diverting people’s attention from rising unemployment and inflation, the NC leader corrected Shah saying the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is a legitimate political alliance and not a gang.

Alleging that the BJP government is playing divisive politics, Mehbooba said the “BJP’s stale tactic of dividing India by projecting themselves as saviours and political opponents as internal and imagined enemies is far too predictable now.”

“Love jihad, tukde tukde and now Gupkar Gang dominates the political discourse instead of (issues) like rising unemployment and inflation,” she said.

The PDP chief also wondered whether 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,” she said.

“Old habits die hard. Earlier BJP’s narrative was that the tukde tukde gang threatened India’s sovereignty and they are now using ‘Gupkar Gang’ euphemism to project us as anti-nationals. Irony died a million deaths since it’s BJP itself that violates the constitution day in and day out,” she tweeted.

She was reacting to a series of tweets by Shah calling the alliance of political parties in Jammu and Kashmir as ‘Gupkar Gang’. Shah also said it is an “unholy global gathbandhan” against the country’s national interest and questioned Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi whether they support the PAGD, formed to demand the restoration of Article 370, scrapped last year.

Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah also slammed the BJP leader saying, “I can understand the frustration behind this attack by the Hon’ble Home Minister. He had been briefed that the People’s Alliance was preparing to boycott elections. This would have allowed the BJP & newly formed King’s party a free run in J&K. We didn’t oblige them.”

Questioning the tag of anti-national, Abdullah said, “Only in J&K can leaders be detained & called anti-national for participating in elections & supporting the democratic process. The truth is all those who oppose the ideology of the BJP are labelled ‘corrupt & anti-national’.”

“We are not a “gang” Amit Shah ji, we are a legitimate political alliance having fought & continuing to fight elections, much to your disappointment,” he further said.

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