The Congress has accused home minister Amit Shah of playing irresponsible politics by defaming the Jammu and Kashmir political class and asked him to stop distributing certificates of nationalism, stung by the BJP’s attempt to question its patriotism over dealings with the Gupkar alliance of Valley parties.

While the Congress has formally said it is not part of the seven-party People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, set up to fight for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the move is largely viewed as tactical repositioning triggered primarily by electoral considerations.

The Congress has asked the Union home minister to clarify if describing the legitimate political parties of Jammu and Kashmir as a “gang” was justified. Congress leaders wonder how these parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party that have had tie-ups with the BJP, had turned into anti-national gangs all of a sudden.

Sources said the Congress was not in favour of an alliance with the NC and the PDP for the local urban body and panchayat polls because that would help the BJP occupy the Congress’s political space in Jammu.

Congress leaders deny that they were in a dilemma and had developed cold feet because of the BJP’s attacks, pointing out that the ruling party was still in alliance with the NC in Ladakh and had tasted power in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time courtesy the PDP.

“Voters can see through the BJP’s hypocrisy,” a senior Congress leader said, conceding that they appreciated the core demands of the Gupkar Declaration, which seeks that there must not be any change to Jammu and Kashmir’s status.

Asked about the quandary in the Congress over dealing with the Gupkar alliance and why had Shah’s attack made the party defensive, spokesperson Pawan Khera told The Telegraph: “First of all, let’s be very clear — the Congress is not defensive when it comes to the irresponsible comment made by the home minister. Why is it that when the BJP shares power with a party, that party is nationalist but the moment the BJP breaks an alliance, that party becomes anti-national?”

He added: “Will Amit Shah tell us why is the BJP a part of the Gupkar alliance in Kargil? The Congress is not a part of the Gupkar alliance. We want democracy to flourish in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. DDC (district development council) elections will help hasten that process. Seat-sharing with regional parties is done in several states and it is being done in the DDC elections too.”

The BJP is part of an alliance with the Gupkar parties in Kargil.

The Congress is livid with BJP leaders’ tendency to question the patriotism of critics and opponents.

“Let Amit Shah not distribute certificates of nationalism. He should acquire some knowledge of history. The Congress has sacrificed to build this nation — from
Mahatma Gandhi to Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Gandhi, and Beant Singh in Punjab and Mahendra Karma, Vidya Charan Shukla in Chhattisgarh. The RSS has a history of aligning with the British in pre-Independence days. Even after Independence, their track record is blotted,” Khera said.

The Congress spokesperson added: “When did the RSS start hoisting the national flag — the Tricolour — at their headquarters in Nagpur? Wasn’t showing respect to
the Constitution and the national flag a condition for lifting the ban on the RSS after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination? Isn’t it true that some youths who went to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur’s Reshmibag to forcibly hoist the national flag on January 26, 2001, were handed over to the police? These people are now branding others anti-national? They are targeting even students.”

Told that the RSS disputes the claim that the lifting of the ban in July 1949 was conditional, Khera said: “It is well documented. It can be checked in official communiqué. Raj Mohan Gandhi has documented it in his book. And whether the three youths — Baba Mendhe, Ramesh Kalambe and Dilip Chatwani — along with others allegedly faced trial that ended in 2013 or not can be checked in police records. These enthusiastic, patriotic youths had only questioned the RSS decision not to honour the Tricolour and gone there to hoist the national flag. They were arrested.”