Rajouri: Apni Party president Mohammed Altaf Bukhari Monday demanded restoration of statehood before assembly polls in J&K saying people were “feeling disempowered in absence of an elected government” in the UT.
Addressing a public rally in Kotranka area of Rajouri distinct, Bukhari said, “We want to assure the people of J&K that Apni Party will not allow any kind of injustice with them. The fear among the people about the change of their status, apprehensions about demographic change will not be allowed to happen.”
He said Apni Party “came into being to protect the constitutional rights of the people of J&K”.
The Apni Party chief said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had “promised us that no demographic change will happen in J&K”.
“We got the protection of jobs and agricultural land in J&K,” he claimed.
He said that the “people’s rights should be protected constitutionally in J&K and until the decision from the Supreme Court on special status comes, we consider the promises made with us by the Government of India as temporary relief for the people of J&K.”
Bukhari said that Apni Party “will always continue to raise genuine demands of the people and work to upliftment their standard of life irrespective of regional discrimination”.
“We believe in unity of two regions and among the communities. Our efforts for equal development of J&K’s people will continue.”
He further said that the people of J&K “have become disempowered after the snatching of statehood of J&K and it should be restored as early as possible before elections”.
“We will try that the statehood is restored soon and elections are held for the empowerment of the people so that people elect their government,” he added.
Bukhari also questioned the government’s “claims about providing employment”.
“The unemployment rate in J&K is more in comparison to other union territories and states. Therefore, it is imperative for the government to focus on providing employment to the educated youth in J&K particularly given that 45,000 post are lying in government departments,” he said.
He said that all the vacant posts must be fulfilled on fast-track bases, urging the government to conduct special recruitment drives in the hilly areas for J&K Police, CRPF, BSF, Indian Army and other paramilitary forces.
