SRINAGAR: The Peoples Conference of Sajjad Gani Lone has pulled out of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which has vowed to fight for the restoration of Article 370.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, who was the spokesman of PAGD, wrote a letter to Gupkar Alliance chairman Farooq Abdullah informing him that the party has decided to pull out from the seven-party alliance.
The Gupkar Alliance was formed by seven parties --- NC, PDP, Peoples Conference, CPI, CPI(M), JKPM, and ANC ---- in October 2020 to fight for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.
On August 5, 2019, Centre scrapped Articles 370 and 35A, which granted special status and special privileges to J&K residents, and also bifurcated J&K state into two Union Territories.
Sajjad’s party leaders had accused the PAGD leaders of fielding the proxy candidates in the just concluded DDC polls in which the alliance won 110 seats.
“It is difficult for us to stay on and pretend as if nothing has happened. There has been a breach of trust between partners which we believe is beyond remedy. The majoritarian view in our party is that we should pull out of the alliance in an amicable manner rather than waiting for things to get messier. And I am confirming that we will no longer be a part of the PAGD alliance,” Lone said, in a letter to PAGD president Farooq Abdullah.
Sajad said the alliance needed sacrifice. "Every party has to sacrifice on the ground in terms of giving space to fellow allies. But no party is willing to cede space, no party is willing to sacrifice. We fought against each other and not against the perpetrators of August 5. And those who perpetrated August 5 and their minions are now vocally gleeful,” he said.