ISLAMABAD: President, National Conference and head of People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), Farooq Abdullah on Friday asked the authorities to release all those detained recently if they want democracy to survive in territory, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOLK).
According to Kashmir Media Service, Farooq Abdullah speaking to reporters after chairing the first meeting of PAGD leaders following District Development Council (DDC) polls at his Gupkar residence in Srinagar, demanded immediate restoration of 4-G internet services.
Asked whether PAGD would stay or break now that DDC polls are over, he said: “We are here to stay and nobody should have any doubt about it.”Speaking on the occasion, PAGD leader and Peoples Conference Chairman, Sajad Lone expressed gratitude to those who voted in the recently concluded DDC polls and also to those who did not vote for alliance candidates.
He, however, said the authorities were acting in a partisan manner and were confining people either to houses or in Police Stations.
“It should resist from this and not humiliate the great verdict of DDC polls,” Lone said.
“History is witness that who tried to humiliate the people’s verdict ended up in a disaster. Under no circumstances, should democracy be tinkered with,” he said.
Days earlier, the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) is all set to claim victory in the first-ever District Development Council (DDC) polls to be held in Jammu and Kashmir. The DDC elections were also the first major electoral exercise after the erstwhile state lost its special status and was turned into a Union Territory last year.
Regional parties that had come together to “keep the BJP at bay” seem to gain an edge in the DDC polls. While the Gupkar alliance is leading on a majority of the seats, the BJP has managed to keep its support base intact in the Jammu region. The Congress came in at number three.
“The results are encouraging for us considering how difficult it was for us. Let us remember that just a few months back, we were in jail. This happened so hurriedly. Also, they were using everything against us, state machinery, every agency, still, we are doing well,” said NC vice president and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah.
Message on Article 370 removal: The victory of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration is being seen as a message by the people of J&K to the central government and the BJP over the Abrogation of Article 370. The alliance had sought votes on the issue of J&K’s special status.
“Today’s DDC results have made it clear that people of J&K voted en masse for JK PAGD, thus rejecting the unconstitutional decision to abrogate Article 370. They have overwhelmingly supported JK PAGD which stands for the restoration of J&Ks special status,” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said.
Another member of the alliance, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah added that the BJP’s “over-enthusiasm” around these polls turned it into a referendum and they need to explain now.
“We didn’t make it a referendum; they [BJP] did it. They put everything they had into the elections. We didn’t even campaign that much. Today, when these results are coming out, it is for them to answer, not us. They have made it into a referendum,” Omar Abdullah said.–Agencies
