Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari said Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha promised a party delegation on Sunday to take up its statehood restoration demand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week.
The Apni Party delegation called on the LG at the Raj Bhavan here and raised issues such as the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and the cancellation of recruitment tests.
“We are happy that the LG promised he will take up the issue (statehood restoration) with the prime minister and the (Union) home minister this week itself. He said the government has promised it on the floor of Parliament,” Bukhari told reporters outside the Raj Bhavan.
“The restoration of statehood is a very serious matter and it is a priority for our party… if the people support us, the Apni Party will get back the identity that was taken away from us,” he said.
Bukhari said Sinha also promised the delegation that the recruitment exams will be conducted in two months and it will be held first for those whose selection process was cancelled so that they do not suffer more injustice. He also assured that it would be held transparently.
Bukhari also claimed that LG assured them that the issue of the preventive detention of youths would be considered on a case-to-case basis.
“Overall, the LG was positive and, in a positive mood, told us that these issues concern the people and will be addressed in a time-bound manner,” the Apni Party chief said.
Asked about the Jammu and Kashmir chief electoral officer inviting political parties for a meeting over special summary revision of electoral rolls, Bukhari said it is part of normal process and the party’s representatives will participate in it.
“But I have been saying that Delhi thinks (conducting) elections is a favour to J&K; this is our right, we are in a democratic country, our grassroots democracy has not been restored for four years now and so, the elections should be held,” he said.
Asked if he chose the day for the meeting as the Congress party was organising its rally against price-rise and Ghulam Nabi Azad also holding a rally in Jammu, Bukhari said there is no connection and the party got the date for the meeting from the Raj Bhavan.
Earlier, the party delegation submitted a memorandum to the LG, “with this hope that the government will take steps to address these issues in the interest of the general public and for achieving an overall conducive atmosphere”.
