NC, PDP befooling people in name of 'Gupkar alliance': BJP leader

Senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta on Sunday claimed that the NC and the PDP are "befooling" people in the name of "Gupkar alliance" and said his party is promise-bound to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

He alleged that the Kashmiri mainstream political parties have "deprived" and "deceived" Jammu and Ladakh regions for the last 70 years and looted the government resources for their own good.

"The mainstream political parties of the valley have come up with a new version of 'Gupkar alliance' just to befool people of Kashmir with their cheap and misleading tactics," Gupta said in a statement here.

The mainstream political parties, including the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, on Thursday held a meeting and formed the people's alliance for Gupkar Declaration for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status and also to initiate a dialogue between all the stakeholders on the issue.

The BJP leader said during the past over 15 months, people in the valley have ignored them (mainstream leaders who were under detention in the valley) and no one was bothered to come out on roads to seek their release.

"Both NC and PDP leaders are staging drama and expressing fake sympathies for the people by forming such 'people's alliance'," he said and termed it as "anti-national".

"They exploited Jammu and Kashmir's resources in the name of Article 370 and are now trying the same formula but people are aware of such tactics. They have lost their credibility and the dynastic politics has ended with the abrogation of Article 370," Gupta said.

The former deputy chief minister said his party is committed to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood as and when the situation becomes conducive and the same has also been assured by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.