Srinagar: National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said people from Jammu as well as Kashmir have extended complete support to the Gupkar alliance and endorsed its plan seeking restoration of J&K’s special status by giving a befitting reply to the BJP in the DDC polls.
His remarks came amid counting of votes of the District Development Council (DDC) elections at a time , when the People’s Alliance on Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) was leading in 81 seats and had won 30 seats whereas the BJP was leading in 56 and has won eight seats.
The Congress was leading in 19 seats and had bagged four seats.
The results and emerging trends of DDC polls should act as an “eye-opener” for the BJP and “its proxy political party”, Abdullah said in an apparent reference to the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party.
The trends show that the people have not accepted the government’s “unilateral decision” of revoking the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 05, 2019, and downgrading it to a Union Territory, the NC leader said.
Abdullah, who is a former chief minister, said that the results and trends are an “important milestone” for the PAGD as they endorse “our view” that revoking of special status was not acceptable to the people.
“Now if the BJP and its proxy political party believe in democracy, as they have stated, they should immediately reverse its decision (abrogation of special status) and respect the verdict of the people of this region,” he said.
Abdullah said that the BJP had flown in a number of Union ministers and central leaders to campaign for the DDC elections. “The BJP is the one which turned these elections as a referendum of its policy of 2019. I hope they have understood the desire of the people,” he said.
The NC leader said that the PAGD, comprising seven mainstream political parties of the Union Territory, had made its stand very clear to the people and also that the alliance would seek all democratic and legal measures to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir as well as its special status.
“We were not allowed to campaign much but still people showed that they could not be swayed away by the campaign launched by the BJP and its support party,” he said.
Meanwhile, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said the results of the DDC elections have made it clear that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have voted for the Gupkar alliance and rejected the Centre’s “unconstitutional” decision to abrogate Article 370.
Taking to Twitter, Mehbooba said the cadre of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar declaration (PAGD) — an amalgam of several mainstream political parties seeking the restoration of the special status of J&K — worked tirelessly to ensure the success, even as the Centre “left no stone unturned to create hurdles for us”.
“Today’s DDC results have made it clear that people of J&K voted en masse for @JKPAGD thus rejecting the unconstitutional decision to abrogate Article 370. They have overwhelmingly supported @JKPAGD which stands for restoration of J&Ks special status,” the PDP president said.
She said the PAGD emerged as a winner despite all the obstacles.
“Our win is dedicated to PAGD cadre who worked tirelessly to ensure our success. GOI left no stone unturned to create hurdles for us. Beginning with @parawahid’s arrest a day after he filed his DDC nominations, restricting our movement & not allowing us to campaign.
“I was illegally detained thrice over the course of a fortnight. PAGD candidates were locked up in a government building while others barred from canvassing. Despite all these obstacles PAGD emerged as winner. This has been a hard earned victory for all us,” she said.
Mehbooba also thanked PDP workers and said they worked hard even after the Centre “engineered” a split in her party.
“Even after a split in PDP engineered by GOI & all the attempts to write us off, my cadre worked day & night to ensure party’s victory. I am extremely grateful to them,” she tweeted.
