BJP put Congress on defensive about being part of Gupkar alliance: Mehbooba

Stating that the BJP has put the Congress on the defensive about its participation in the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) through false propaganda, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said in today's times, demanding constitutional rights is deemed anti-national.

Her remarks came after the Congress on Tuesday said it is not a part of the PAGD, an alliance of several parties in Jammu and Kashmir that is seeking the restoration of the erstwhile state's special status, which was revoked by the Centre in August last year.

In a statement, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the party is not a part of the PAGD and will contest the upcoming maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir to "expose" the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through democratic means.

The statement came after the BJP targeted the Congress, saying it should make it clear if it agrees with the "anti-national" views of the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Referring to Surjewala's statement, Mufti said the country lacks a robust opposition as the BJP propagates falsehoods and sets the agenda, thereby forcing the Congress to toe the same line.

"Today yet again through false propaganda, BJP has put Congress on defensive about its participation in PAGD. The pattern where BJP propagates falsehoods & sets the agenda thereby forcing Congress to toe the same line is why this country lacks a robust opposition," she wrote on Twitter.

The PDP president said no national party will admit it publicly that the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, was "illegal" due to the "lies" spread by the BJP.

"It's a fact that abrogation of Article 370 was illegal & was a constitutional guarantee given to J&K. Yet no national party inc Congress will admit it publicly due to the lies spread by BJP. We are living in times where demanding constitutional rights itself is deemed anti national (sic)," she said in another tweet.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said some "pliable" television news channels are helping the BJP in peddling its propaganda.

"BJPs propaganda is peddled day & night by pliable channels that dedicate their prime time debates to issues such as 'love jihad, tukde tukde gang & now Gupkar alliance (sic)," she wrote on the microblogging website.