NC govt should declare July 13 as ‘Martyrs’ Day’ holiday across J&K: Bukhari

Bandipora, Jul 05: Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on Saturday urged the National Conference-led government to declare July 13 as a public holiday across Jammu and Kashmir to honour the “1931 martyrs”, saying it is unjust that the day is not officially recognised even after several months of the new government taking office.“July 13 is a very important day for us. It’s the day of our martyrs. The NC government must declare it a holiday so people can properly observe it, just like the holiday given for Maharaja Hari Singh,” Bukhari said while speaking to reporters during his visit to Bandipora.He criticised the government for failing to act on its pre-election commitments. “People have been waiting for the National Conference to fulfil their promises for the last 8-9 months. So far, there’s been no visible action,” he said.Expressing concern over the recent restrictions on tourist movement in areas like Gurez and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Bukhari said shutting down areas due to security concerns was unacceptable. “I’m sitting here in Bandipora, and Gurez is closed for tourists. What’s the reason behind it? Security is the basic responsibility of any government. If that becomes an excuse to lock down places, what’s next? Will people be asked to stay indoors permanently?” he questioned.Calling on the government to immediately reopen tourist destinations, he said, “These shutdowns are unjustified. The administration must restore normal activity and ensure public confidence.”The Apni Party chief also warned the NC against attempting to dominate Panchayat institutions using its legislative strength. “If the NC thinks it can hijack panchayats through MLAs, let me make it clear, the people won’t allow this to happen,” he added.Bukhari said that the real strength of democracy lies at the grassroots level, and any attempts to undermine it would be strongly resisted.