Amit Shah’s ‘gang’ remark shows India in poor light, says Saifuddin Soz

Srinagar, November 18

Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Wednesday said by calling the alliance of mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir a “gang”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had shown India and its democracy in poor light.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Shah had asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “has been and will always remain an integral part of India” and termed the alliance of political parties of the union territory ‘Gupkar gang’. He had also said it was an “unholy global gathbandhan” against the national interest.

In a series of tweets, Shah also questioned Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi whether they supported the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a conglomerate of regional and national political parties in J&K formed to demand the restoration of the Article 370.

In a statement, Soz said, “It is really unfortunate that Home Minister Amit Shah had to stoop so low and call the Kashmir mainstream a gang. He has shown India and its democracy in extremely poor light by calling Kashmir mainstream's togetherness the Gupkar gang.”

The present ruling class at the Centre has already caused great damage to the system of governance in India by imagining that the BJP is the only safeguard for India's democratic system, Soz said.

“The reality, however, it is quite opposite. The fact is that the present government at the Centre has brought a bad name to India and its democracy. It is now a great jolt to the entire system that the togetherness of the Kashmir mainstream is seen as a threat to India’s democratic system.

“One wonders why the democratic activity by Kashmir mainstream parties – the NC, INC, PDP, PC, ANC and others is seen as a disruption by the Home Minister and others,” he said.

If the Union Home Minister is not prepared to deal with a democratic set-up in Kashmir, would he then wait for emergence of a set-up contrary to the present democratic combination, Soz asked. “As for J&K state, the constitutional relationship with the Union has already received a severe setback in recent years and the damage seems to be irreparable,” he said.

Shah had said the Congress and the ‘Gupkar gang' wanted to take Jammu and Kashmir back to the era of terror and turmoil and take away the rights of Dalits, women and tribals “that we have ensured by removing Article 370. This is why they're being rejected by the people everywhere”. — PTI

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