Srinagar, Feb 15: Reaffirming his unwavering conviction regarding Jammu & Kashmir’s relationship with the rest of the country, Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday said the “undeniable reality” is that Jammu and Kashmir was destined to be an integral part of India in 1947, and it will continue to be so.
He, however, said that the Centre has “hurt the sentiments of the people of Jammu & Kashmir over and over again, especially on August 5, 2019, by unilaterally abrogating Article 370 and 35A”.
Bukhari also blamed the traditional political parties and their leaders for the abrogation of these articles, saying, “Those who held power over the past seven decades should have taken measures to ensure the permanence of these significant constitutional provisions.”
According to a party statment issued here, Bukhari made these remarks while addressing a public rally at Kunji Ular in the Wachi Zaina Pora constituency in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Addressing the rally, he urged people to “stop being scapegoat of the emotional sloganeering employed by the traditional political parties and their leaders”. “The emotional slogans and misleading narratives by the traditional political parties have yielded nothing for you, except for leading lakhs of our youth either into jails or graveyards. It is your responsibility to prevent these ruthless politicians from further political exploitation. You must understand that undeniable reality that Jammu and Kashmir was destined to be part of India in 1947, and it will always remain so,” he said.
He went on to say, “We have received numerous wounds from the centre, but still, I strongly believe that the solace for our emotional grievances and solutions to our problems will come from New Delhi itself.”
He committed that the Apni Party, upon receiving the public mandate, will ensure that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are provided with all the rights guaranteed to citizens by the constitution of the country.
Taking a dig at the traditional political parties, Bukhari said, “Why did these leaders not make any attempt to make Article 370 and 35A permanent even after they held power for years and decades in Jammu and Kashmir?” he asked.
“Rather than safeguarding the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, these leaders kept them occupied with false promises and misleading narratives to serve their personal and political interests,” he added.
The Apni party Chief promised that he will take up the issue of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loan defaulters with the concerned authorise to secure relief for them.
