The People's Alliance for Gupkar Alliance (PAGD) on Tuesday demanded the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35-A in Jammu and Kashmir. The conglomeration also demanded the restoration of the pre-August 5, 2019, position in J&K.
During a two-hour-long marathon meeting attended by leaders of all the five constituents, the PAGD unanimously passed a resolution in which these demands were incorporated.
Interacting with reporters after the meeting, spokesman of PAGD and CPM leader M Y Tarigami cautioned the Union Government against 'depicting prevailing silence as normalcy in Kashmir'. He argued that 370 and Article 35-A were "taken away unconstitutionally" by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
"Restoration of Article 370, Article 35A, own constitutions, and complete statehood is our prime demand and basic agenda," Tarigami, who was flanked by NC president Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti besides other leaders, said.
Opposes stringent action against stone pelters
Gupkar Alliance opposed the recent decision of the Jammu and Kashmir government to take strict action against stone pelters. Tarigami stated that government orders for stone pelters and others in the Union Territory are "harsh". "You cannot deprive people of their rights until proven guilty in the court of law," he added.
He said recent order barring people accused of stone-pelting from government jobs and passports was illegal "given the fact that it was for the judiciary to hold guilty or otherwise."
J&K Govt decides to deny security clearance to "anti-national" elements
On July 31, the J&K government has decided to deny security clearance to "anti-national" elements involved in creating law and order problems. This decision of the government would deny passport clearance as well as mandatory approval from the intelligence agencies to get a government job.
CID's Special Branch Kashmir has directed all units to deny security clearance to those involved in the law-and-order problem, stone-pelting, and other crimes prejudicial to the security of the state. All digital evidence and police records will be taken into consideration.
"All the field units of CID-SB-Kashmir are hereby directed to ensure that during verification related to passport, service, and any other verification related to government services/schemes, the subject's involvement in the law and order, stone-pelting cases, and other crimes prejudicial to the security of the state be specially looked into and same must be corroborated with local police station records," the order issued by SSP SB-K reads.
PAGD rakes up local verses' outsider issue
After the meeting, Gupkar Alliance raked up local versus outsider issues to retrieve lost ground in Kashmir Valley. Tarigami alleged that said that top posts in administration and police are manned by people from outside Jammu and Kashmir.
"All top posts are held by people from outside. See all Deputy Commissioners, top police posts, and others are kept by people from outside. Where would people of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh go?', he asked, adding, "This is humiliation. As far as PAGD is concerned, it is not acceptable."
He said that "we attended the meeting convened by the Prime Minister and said that confidence-building measures should be started."
