Srinagar: Soon after being appointed as President of People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) Sturday, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah said the group is formed against the "damaging" policies of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and not against the nation.
"Those who have been spreading propaganda that Gupkar alliance is anti-national are wrong. We are anti-BJP and that does not mean being anti-national.
"They (BJP) have harmed this country and its constitution. We want the rights of the people of J&K to be returned. That is all. Their attempts to divide us on religion will fail", he added.
"When we talk of revival of 370, we also talk of regional autonomy of area in Jammu and Ladakh," Farooq Abdullah, who was released in March after more than seven months in detention, said.
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The recently floated People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), a conglomerate of mainstream Kashmir parties for the reversal of constitutional changes made in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year, has been given a formal structure on Saturday.
National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah has been appointed as the president of the alliance, PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti as vice president and People's Conference leader Sajjad Lone as the spokesperson and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Yousuf Taragami as convenor.
The flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has been adopted as the symbol of the alliance.
"We have decided on a structure of the alliance today. Farooq Abdullah will be our president and Mehbooba Mufti as the vice president and I will be the spokesperson of the alliance", Sajjad Lone said.
On October 15, mainstream Kashmir Parties who are the signatories of the Gupkar declaration formed an alliance to reverse the constitutional changes made in J&K last year on August 5.
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