Mehbooba Mufti

BJP trying to create hate between Gujjars and Paharis in Jammu: Mehbooba

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Mehbooba Mufti

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti alleged on Sunday that the BJP is trying to pitch Gujjars against Paharis in the Jammu region and appealed to the communities to stand united to foil its designs.

“There is a lot of tension in the Pir Panjal region for the last few days since there is a talk of reservation to the Pahari community. Brothers have been turned into foes and they are baying for each other’s blood. They are being made to fight against each other,” Mufti told reporters here.

She was referring to reports of tension between the communities in the wake of claims in a section of the media that at a rally in Rajouri on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will announce reservation for the Pahari community in jobs and education.

Mufti said the Gujjars and the Paharis have lived together for centuries and should stop fighting against each other.

“I request the Gujjar, Bakerwal and Pahari communities to stop fighting against each other and remember that everything is provided by the god. The god will provide what a person deserves. Home ministers will come and go, the BJP is there today, but won’t be tomorrow.

“However, the animosity, the fissures that they develop (will remain)…. All of you belong to one faith, you live in the same place,” she said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) first pitched Hindus and Muslims against one another and is now pitching Gujjars and Paharis against each other.

“I request all of you to stop this. Whatever is destined for someone, he will get it. Live together and foil their designs,” she said.

Mehbooba, Farooq, and Tarigami to attend the all-party meet in New Delhi

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Mehbooba, Farooq, and Tarigami to attend the all-party meet in New Delhi 1

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) on Tuesday announced that a team headed by Farooq Abdullah and comprising PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti and amalgam’s spokesperson Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami will attend the All Party Meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 24 June.

“We have received invitation from Prime Minister and we are going to attend,” Farooq Abdullah, who heads the amalgam, told reporters here after the meeting of the PAGD leaders at his residence.

“We are confident that we will put our stand before Prime Minister and Home Minister,” Farooq, NC Chief and the member parliament from Srinagar said.

“When the meeting will end, we will brief you on what we have done there, what we said, and what was the response,” he said.

The PAGD is an alliance of six parties in Jammu and Kashmir, including the NC and the PDP, formed in the aftermath of the GoIs August 2019 decision to nullify Article 370 and split J-K into two union territories. The group’s public stand is for the restoration of the special status of the ‘state’ of J-K.

To a question about those representing the PAGD at the meeting, Farooq said that he himself, Mehbooba Mufti and M Y Tarigami will be attending the meeting.

Tarigami, the spokesman of the PAGD, said that there should be no “mistaken belief that we are going to sign on the agenda set by them. We are going to see what the proposal is. If it is in the interest of people we say yes and if otherwise there is going be big no.”

PAGD member Muzaffar Shah also announced that there shall be no compromise on Article 370 and Article 35A which was annulled by the ruling dispensation at New Delhi on 5 August 2019 while imposing security and communication clampdown in entire J-K and detaining or arresting thousands of people including the mainstream leaders. (JKyouth)

Will fight for the rights of Jammu and Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

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Farooq Abdullah

Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of various political parties, fighting for the restoration of pre-August 5, 2019 decision of New Delhi, Wednesday met after a gap of six months and vowed to use every opportunity to fight for peoples’ rights stating that the alliance “will fight while sitting in fire.”

The meeting as per a local news agency, Kashmir News Observer (KNO), was held at the Gupkar residence of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, where other members of the alliance that include Javaid Mustafa Mir, M Y Tarigami, NC MP Hasnain Masoodi, and Muzaffar Shah of Awami National Conference (ANC) and Mehbooba Beg of PDP participated. The meeting decided to appoint Tarigami as the full-fledged spokesman of PAGD.

The meeting chaired by PAGD’s president and National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah, started at 05:10 pm.

Soon after the meeting, the leaders from PAGD stated that there has been no change in their stance on the declaration made on 4 August 2019. The leaders while talking to the media persons said that the alliance will continue to “fight for the rights of people.”

The NC chief Abdullah, when asked whether he would resign as Member of Parliament in case any unfavourable decision is taken by the Centre, said: “We will fight sitting in fire. I will not quit. But, I will fight for my people in the Parliament,” he said.

He added that the doors of PAGD has and will remain always open for everyone. “We have not been asked or informed about anything so far regarding the ongoing speculations,” he said.

About the delimitation process, he said they have already moved to the Supreme Court (SC) with regard to the 5 August decision. “The matter is in court. Let the verdict be announced first. We will take a call accordingly,” he said.

PAGD’s new spokesman, Tarigami said that the conglomerate will never leave any stone unturned for the betterment of the people. “We (PAGD) will use every opportunity for the wellbeing of the people,” he said.

The meeting assumed significance as it was held amid speculations over the further bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir by the Centre.

Pertinently, the PAGD, a conglomerate of political parties was formed in Jammu and Kashmir to fight for the restoration of the 4 August 2019 position. Nonetheless, the silence prevailed within the conglomerate for the last couple of months. (KNO)