Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Criticizes Congress-NC Alliance in Jammu and Kashmir
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has accused the Congress party of compromising the unity and security of India by forming an alliance with the National Conference (NC) ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls. In a video message shared on social media platform X, Patel questioned whether Congress supports the NC’s promise to bring back Articles 370 and 35A, which could lead to a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir and potentially push the region back into an era of terrorism.
Union Minister BL Verma also criticized the alliance, stating that it was formed due to political and personal interests. He demanded that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi clarify his stance on Article 370. The Congress-NC alliance was announced after a meeting between Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and NC chief Farooq Abdullah. The alliance aims to contest all 90 seats in the upcoming assembly elections, the first since the abrogation of Article 370.
The assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, with results announced on October 4. The Election Commission has issued a notification for the first phase, covering 24 seats.
Doubts Revealed
Gujarat CM -: Gujarat CM means the Chief Minister of Gujarat, who is the head of the government in the state of Gujarat.
Bhupendra Patel -: Bhupendra Patel is the current Chief Minister of Gujarat, a state in India.
Congress -: Congress is a major political party in India, officially known as the Indian National Congress.
National Conference -: National Conference is a political party in Jammu and Kashmir, a region in India.
Jammu and Kashmir -: Jammu and Kashmir is a region in northern India, which has its own assembly and elections.
Assembly polls -: Assembly polls are elections held to choose representatives for the legislative assembly of a state or region.
Compromising the country’s unity and security -: This means doing something that might harm the togetherness and safety of the country.
Union Minister BL Verma -: BL Verma is a minister in the central government of India, which is also called the Union government.
Article 370 -: Article 370 was a part of the Indian Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, but it was removed in 2019.