Kupwara, Nov 25: Referring to the November 10 Delhi car blast involving a Kashmiri doctor, Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday termed the step extreme and worrisome.
“The incident should set alarm bells ringing in the entire country,” Bukhari said, addressing a workers’ convention in the Kralgund area of Handwara. “When doctors, who are among the intellectual class of the society, take such extreme steps even after earning a handsome salary, then it must worry everyone and Delhi must reflect on this alarming trend and work towards reducing the disconnect.”
The Apni Party chief said he can never be a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to initiate the promised dialogue with the youth of J&K.
“The young people are feeling frustrated. They need a clear roadmap for the future. The PM had promised dialogue with the youth. That process should be started now,” Bukhari said.
He reiterated his call for the restoration of statehood, saying that it must follow a genuine and meaningful dialogue with the people of J&K.
The Apni Party President appealed to all regional political parties to set aside their differences and demand talks between New Delhi and the people of J&K.
Referring to the amendments to the domicile law, he said that the existing 15-year residency requirement should be increased to 35 years to safeguard local jobs and land.
Meanwhile, launching the public outreach drive from Kralagund in Langate constituency, Bukhari urged the Centre to bridge Dil ki Doori (distance of hearts) for a lasting peace and stability in J&K.
He condemned the ongoing arrests and voiced serious concern over recent incidents of harassment of Kashmiris in several places outside J&K.
“We met and interacted with our senior workers here. The purpose of this meeting was to plan our strategy and reaffirm our agenda and policies, which have been proven right because they are rooted in truth and integrity. Even today, the manifesto we presented during last year’s Assembly elections remains relevant. Other parties made false promises and used misleading slogans, but we spoke about real issues and real problems. We promised that if we were given the mandate, we would address these issues effectively,” the Apni Party chief said.
He said that the real problems were the arrests of the youth, delays in the verification process required for jobs and passports, and people being called to police stations simply because they held a different ideology in the 1990s.
“These are the genuine issues affecting our people. We had promised that if we came to power, we would announce a general amnesty for the detainees. We would have ensured a dignified life for our youth and brought an end to the arrest spree. But unfortunately, we were not voted to power,” Bukhari said.
He said the Apni Party was the first political party that actually managed to secure something for the people of J&K from New Delhi, an official order that land and jobs would remain reserved for the people of this region.
“For the past 75 years, other parties have been only giving things away to New Delhi,” the Apni Party President said.
“After August 5, 2019, anyone from outside J&K could have bought land here or applied for jobs. But it was the Apni Party that went to Delhi and ensured that a 15-year residency requirement was fixed for domicile eligibility. That was our achievement, and we never boasted about it. We did not even speak much about it, perhaps because soon after this happened, the COVID-19 outbreak occurred. This is the reason most people do not have any idea how J&K people succeeded to retain their special rights over land and jobs here despite the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35-A. The fact is that credit for this achievement goes to the Apni Party that stood firmly at that time before the Government of India,” he said.
Bukhari said that five years had already passed since then, and now was the right time to extend the residency requirement for domicile.
“This power lies with the J&K government. I urge my workers to inform people about why increasing the residency period is important. Let people understand that demands like free electricity and other such issues are minor. They must press the government on the more important issue – strengthening the domicile law,” he said.
The Apni Party chief urged his party workers to reach out to the people and make them aware of what the party stands for and what it aims to achieve for them.
Urging the Centre to start a dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Bukhari said, “Whether the government chooses to talk to Pakistan or not is entirely its own decision. But we firmly demand that a dialogue must begin immediately with the people – especially the youth of J&K. Following this dialogue, statehood should be restored, as the Centre has already promised.”
He said that all political parties in J&K must unite to push for a dialogue between the people and the Centre, so that the path is cleared for the restoration of statehood and other important rights.
The Apni Party President said that time has proven that those who ran a vicious defamation campaign against the party were actually the ones working hand-in-glove with the BJP.
“History shows that the leaders of these parties gained power and even became Chief Ministers and union ministers with the BJP’s support. They are the real proxies and B-teams of the BJP,” he said.
“We cannot be linked to that BJP. However, the Prime Minister is the leader of the entire country, and so is the Home Minister. Anyone who wants to work for the people of J&K must cooperate with these national leaders. We cannot solve our problems without the active support of the Government of India,” Bukhari said.
On the reservation issue, he said, “Look at how unemployment is harming the future of our youngsters. Many of them are falling prey to the prevailing drug menace. Our youth deserve employment opportunities so they can lead normal and peaceful lives. If the elected government fails to deliver even on these important matters, it is a shame for the government.”
On this occasion, Bukhari also spoke about the local issues faced by the people.
He said, “I firmly believe that the proposed Government Medical College (GMC) must be built at its approved site in Gund Chogal, Handwara. Any attempt to shift this project will be strongly opposed by the Apni Party. A huge sum of Rs 45 crore in public funds has already been spent, so the college must be completed at the approved location without any further delay.”
The residents informed the Apni Party President about certain issues and problems that people in the Langate constituency are facing.
They said that the degree college he had approved as education minister in the erstwhile state had still not been built because land had not yet been allotted for it.
They also raised issues of a severe water crisis, poor infrastructure, and the shortage of lady doctors in local health centres.
Bukhari assured them that he would take up these matters with the concerned authorities.
Besides Bukhari, other prominent party leaders who addressed the gathering and were present on the occasion included Chairman of the party’s Parliamentary Affairs Committee (PAC) Muhammad Dilawar Mir, District President Kupwara Raja Manzoor, Youth Wing President and spokesman Yawar Mir, District President Baramulla Shabir Ahmad Shah, Vice District President Kupwara and constituency incharge Tregam Nooruddin Shah, Provincial Secretary Kashmir Abdul Rashid Bhat, Provincial Joint Secretary Abdul Rahim Wani, District Publicity Secretary Kupwara Bilal Arif, constituency incharge Handwara Munawar Khaja, constituency incharge Kupwara Muhammad Amin Bhat, Zonal President Kupwara Manzoor Ahmad Ganaie, Farooq Ahmad Wani, Ghulam Hassan Dar, Nazir Ahmad Dar, Abdul Qayoom, Zahoor Ahmad Dar, and Shabir Ahmad Lone.
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