Jammu, Jan 25: Apni Party Scheduled Tribe (ST) Wing President, Saleem Alam has strongly opposed National Conference President, Dr Farooq Abdullah’s “objectionable” statement against the tribal population.
“The objectionable statement of one of the senior-most politicians is unacceptable which holds the tribal community responsible for the present political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. It is an unfortunate statement, and we condemn it strongly,” Saleem said in a statement issued here, adding, “The NC is frustrated due to which its leadership has made derogatory remarks against a community that has made huge contributions to Jammu and Kashmir.”
Alam added, “For decades, the NC and its alliance partners misled the tribals and ruled J&K with their divisive politics. However, the people are aware of their divisive politics and hence, the party is now facing rejection from the marginalized section of society who they exploited for their vote bank.”
He said that it was the NC government which put the tribals of Jammu and Kashmir in trouble as they did not regularize their colonies in Jammu which has given chance to others to victimize them even as the huge population of Gujjars-Bakarwals are nowhere to blame. “It’s a harsh reality that the residential colonies for tribals were not regularized for decades by the NC when it was in government even as these people lived there for centuries,” he reminded the National Conference.
We are against anyone who wants displacement or political exploitation of the tribal population in Jammu and Kashmir, Saleem said, adding, “The present-day suffering of tribals is happening because of the NC. This party knows that it will not return to power and hence, they have started defaming and blaming the tribal population who had voted them to power many times in J&K.”
The Apni Party leader further said that the tribal population will give a befitting response to NC in the upcoming assembly and parliamentary elections for its divisive agenda. “The NC leadership has humiliated and discredited the tribals. The tribals will retaliate in the upcoming assembly elections. They are a respectable community. Therefore, in no case, they will bear such an insult,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alam said the Apni Party will not tolerate any policy that is against the tribals or any other marginalized section of society. “We are committed to the social, economic, educational and political empowerment of the Gujjars and Bakerwals,” he said.
