Srinagar: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said on Sunday that Jammu and Kashmir is destined to remain a part of India, and New Delhi holds the resources and capacity to resolve the problems and challenges the J&K is facing, especially post-August 5, 2019.
Bukhari made these comments while addressing a massive party convention at Reshnagri in south Kashmir’s Shopian district today.
Besides Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, the party stalwarts who also addressed the gathering included the party’s senior vice president, Ghulam Hassan Mir, vice president, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, party chief coordinator, Abdul Majeed Padder, and others.
According to a press release issued here, in his speech, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari promised people that the Apni Party would ensure ideal solutions to the issues that farmers and orchardists in J&K are facing.
“Given my personal experience in the farming and orchard cultivation business, I understand your problems better than anyone else. I am also aware that fruit growers in this region are facing a scarcity of adequate cold storage facilities,” he said.
Demanding an inquiry into the reasons behind the violation of norms regarding the provision of cold storage facilities in Shopian, he said, “The previous governments allotted and allowed establishing of Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage to benefit certain individuals with political connections. And, now these CA storage owners are exploiting the vulnerable growers by imposing unfair conditions on them.”
“Apni party demands an inquiry to uncover the criteria followed for these allocations and to understand why disadvantaged orchardists are being subjected to unjust treatment. Since these CA storages have been established under the Govt supervision and with the assistance of subsidized schemes from the Union Government, it is important to identify individuals who are violating the criteria for the dispassionate facility to the growers.”
“These CA storages have become advantageous only for the privileged people, while poor farmers are subjected to suffering,” he added.
He further said, “I give you my assurance that we will bring about a positive transformation in our agriculture and horticulture sectors, aligning them with the necessary requirements and demands and elevating their standards.”
“Once our party is elected, we will officially designate horticulture as an industry. Also, we will be establishing ‘Apple Villages’ in Shopian and other suitable locations to harness and nurture the natural potential in the horticulture sector,” he added.
Altaf Bukhari urged people not to fall prey to the emotional slogans or unattainable goals that are used by the traditional political parties and their leaders solely for their own political gains. “While fighting against the country, we have tragically lost thousands of our youngsters either to jails or graveyards so far. We cannot bear the burden of further deaths and destruction on this land because the future of our youth and generations to come is at stake. Therefore, we must be brutally honest with ourselves, stop following unattainable goals, and not be swayed by emotional slogans anymore.”
While saying this, he promised that Apni Party will ensure the solutions to J&K’s problems come from New Delhi, as despite being the problem creator, it also holds the key to viable solutions. “The solutions to our problems, created by the center, lie with the center. And, I promise you that if the Apni Party receives the mandate to form the next government, we will ensure that New Delhi addresses all these issues to our utmost satisfaction. Everything that is required for Jammu and Kashmir’s prosperity and development would come from the center.”
Lashing out at those engaged in a defamatory campaign against Apni Party, Altaf Bukhari said, “Imagine a leader who, despite his own sister appearing as a witness advocating for the execution of a separatist leader, now accuses the Apni Party of being a party of ‘Ikhwanis’. These so-called leaders must be ashamed of themselves for orchestrating such a malicious campaign against Apni Party. Do they think that people have forgotten the crimes that they committed while they were at the helm of affairs in J&K? They must know that they stand exposed in front of people, as the people have faced the brunt of their ruthlessness.”
While on his way to the convention venue, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari met with Insha Mushtaq, who tragically lost her vision due to pellet gun injuries during the 2016 agitation, and congratulated her for passing the class 12th board examination remarkably. He assured Insha of his full support and necessary assistance for her future education.
