Gupkar alliance, Congress to jointly hold protest in Jammu against delay in holding assembly, local body polls

BUNTY MAHAJAN
JAMMU, OCTOBER 3: Most of the mainstream opposition parties including National Conference, PDP and Congress met here on Tuesday and decided to hold a “peaceful protest” here on October 10 against the “suspension of constitution” in Jammu and Kashmir.

However, leaders of Democratic Progressive Azad Party, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party and Aam Admi Party were not present at the meeting. Source said that they were not invited.

While DPAP is headed by former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, J&K Apni Party is led by former minister Altaf Bukhari. With their absence, those present were mainly members of the Gupkar alliance and Congress.

The NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah who chaired the meeting expressed concern over the delay in holding of assembly elections. “They (government) has suspended the constitution here despite their tall claims of normalcy during the G-20 summit. They are now reluctant to hold the local body polls, he said.

When asked that the government says that it is the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir who are protesting across the LoC for joining India, Farooq said that “don’t worry, protests will begin here too”. “The matter regarding Article 370 is, at present, pending before the Supreme Court and I do not want to say anything on it,” he added.

When asked about the absence of parties like former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad led DPAP and former minister Altaf Bukhari led J&K Apni Party, Farooq said that they are “sarkari parties”.

Former chief minister and PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti, J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani and working president Raman Bhalla, former minister Harsh Dev Singh, CPI(M) leader and former MLA M Y Tarigami, Awami National Conference leader Muzaffar Shah were among the prominent politicians present at the meeting.