Omar, Mehbooba hit back at Amit Shah’s 'Gupkar Gang going global' remark

Two former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir – Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti – on Tuesday lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his “Gupkar Gang going global” remarks.

“We are not a “gang” Amit Shah ji, we are a legitimate political alliance having fought & continuing to fight elections, much to your disappointment (sic),” Omar, who is vice president of National Conference, responded to Shah’s tweet.

“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,” he added.

Taking his response further, the former CM in another tweet asked Shah: “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.”

Mehbooba Mufti, who is president of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while reacting to Home Minister’s remarks, tweeted: “Old habits die hard. Earlier BJPs narrative was that the tukde tukde gang threatened India’s sovereignty & they are now using ‘Gupkar Gang’ euphemism to project us as anti nationals. Irony died a million deaths since its BJP itself that violates the constitution day in & day out.”

Questioning the BJP's criticism of the alliance partners of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), she said 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,” the PDP chief added.

The BJP’s stale tactic of dividing India by projecting themselves as saviours and political opponents as internal and imagined enemies was far too predictable now. “Love jihad, tukde tukde & now Gupkar Gang dominates the political discourse instead of like rising unemployment & inflation,” Mehbooba observed.

Earlier Shah in a tweet said: “The Gupkar Gang is going global! They want foreign forces to intervene in Jammu and Kashmir. The Gupkar Gang also insults India’s Tricolour. Do Sonia Ji and Rahul Ji support such moves of the Gupkar Gang? They should make their stand crystal clear to the people of India”.

The PAGD is an alliance of seven parties - NC, PDP, CPI, CPM, Peoples Conference, Peoples Movement and Awami National Conference - which was formed on October 15 to work towards restoring the special status of J&K which was revoked last August.