J&K leaders prioritised personal gain over public interest for 70 years: Apni Party chief

Srinagar, Jul 01: “Every leader who has been at the helm in Jammu and Kashmir over the past seventy-plus years has compromised one thing or another before New Delhi for personal and political gain,” Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said on Tuesday. He added that whatever J&K has “lost” during this period cannot be regained overnight.Bukhari made these remarks while addressing a party convention at Dak Bungalow Khanabal in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.Talking about the events of August 5, 2019, Bukhari described them as “backbreaking” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. However, he added, “Kashmiri leaders who held power over the past seven decades not only failed to safeguard the rights of the people but also bartered public interests for their own personal and political gain.”The Apni Party president said, “We witnessed the power of India’s Home Minister on August 5, 2019. He stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status and statehood, and divided it into two Union Territories—by presenting a few resolutions within minutes. There was once a Home Minister from Kashmir. Why didn’t he use his authority to make Articles 370 and 35A permanent features of the Constitution? Who could have stopped him?” Similarly, he alleged, every Chief Minister who held office here has traded the people’s interests for his or her own political gains. “They made us lose everything over the past more than seven decades. We cannot get it back overnight,” he said.Lashing out at the government, Bukhari said, “One loses patience seeing the poor performance of this government. Despite having received a massive mandate, this government has failed even to provide basic amenities to the people. They have forgotten the promises made in their election manifesto. Where are the two lakh jobs and other enticing commitments they had promised to deliver to the people?”Speaking on the occasion, the party’s General Secretary, Rafi Ahmad Mir, voiced concern over the “unfulfilled” promises made by Prime Minister Modi to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.He said, “The Prime Minister had assured the people of Jammu and Kashmir that he would free them from dynastic rule. He also pledged to bridge the “Dil Ki Doori” (emotional distance), and, most importantly, promised to engage with the youth of the region. Unfortunately, all these promises remain unfulfilled to this day.”Mir also expressed his disappointment over the lack of performance by the elected government. He said, “I fail to understand why this government is unable to function effectively and fulfil the promises made to the people. The Lieutenant Governor (LG) has made it very clear that only the police are under his command and control, while the rest of the powers lie with the Omar-led government. So why is this government failing to meet public expectations?”