BISHNAH: Apni Party President, Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari Sunday urged the Election Commission of India to hold Legislative Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the Parliamentary polls together.
Altaf Bukhari made this demand while addressing a one-day worker’s meeting at Bishnah. The meeting was organized by Apni Party leader, Ashwani Kumar.
“The Govt of India says we shall hold Legislative Assembly Elections as well as Parliamentary Elections together. Then, they constituted a committee, but declined later, citing various reasons for elections in other states of the country,” reminded Bukhari.
Commenting, he demanded holding of Legislative Assembly Elections as well as Parliamentary elections together in J&K because the people would get an elected Govt after a five-year gap.
“The court has also directed the Govt to hold elections before September 2024 in J&K, but I suspect, they will not end the rule of an unpopular Govt in the erstwhile state,” he raised suspicion while criticizing the influence of UP and Punjab-based liquor and mining mafia/contractors on the authorities.
Meanwhile, he said, “Five years have passed to Jammu and Kashmir without an elected Govt. Up to 2018, the last elected Govt was formed by the BJP in alliance with PDP.”
The BJP had contested the assembly elections of 2014 against the National Conference and PDP and then they formed the Govt with the PDP, he said, while asking the people if they saw any kind of development/employment in Bishnah or any other part of Jammu.
He however raised the question about the involvement of the non-local mafia in mining and liquor that has snatched the jobs, and trade and spiked the prices of construction materials.
“The contractors from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab exploit the resources and local labourers whereas some liquor shops have been opened in every nook and corner of Jammu. If this is the naya Jammu and Kashmir, then we do not want such a situation, where rights of J&K are denied,” he added.
An atmosphere has changed in Jammu and Kashmir following the day when special status was snatched from the people of the erstwhile state. The people were unaware across the country about the plight of the people living along the border with Pakistan in J&K. However, no one recalls the supreme sacrifices made by the civilian population living on the border in Jammu as well as in Kashmir.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir did not get any kind of benefit in the last 70 years, but the benefits were grabbed by the two families in place of the masses. However, now the time has come when the people shall be given constitutional rights of the people in J&K,” he stated.
He further said, “The people of J&K will democratically fight for their jobs. We are a peace-loving nationalist people who never restore to any kind of violent means.”
He however congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister, Amit Shah for granting reservation to a tribe of J&K.
He also extended support to those who have certainly resented the recent reservation that was granted to another tribe.
“Those who have an objection to the reservation shall not worry about their issues because the Apni Party is there to support them. We will never allow discrimination with anyone,” he added while seeking a response from the Govt regarding issues of the Dogra speaking belt in the Jammu Region.
If the reservation can be granted to a tribe to address their long pending demands, he said then why couldn’t the concerns and demands of Jammu Dogras, Kashmiri speaking, and other communities be addressed by holding Assembly Elections and restoring the statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting concerns of unemployed youth, he demanded a five-year extension in upper age limits to the aspirants of central Govt jobs/Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in favour of the youth from Jammu and Kashmir.
“The situation in Jammu and Kashmir has yet to improve to a level that the youth can compete with other states of the country. The borders in Jammu region as well as Kashmir still face burnt of shelling from adversaries and therefore, the studies/exams of the students get often disturbed,” he reminded to the Govt of India while asking them to consider the demand to extend the upper age limit for the central job aspirants from J&K.
He again highlighted the concern that the unscheduled power cuts across both regions have further added problems for the students.
To overcome the power crises in J&K, he said that the power projects shall be returned to the erstwhile state after 35 years of its inception.
“They use our resources and generate electricity that is supplied outside J&K whereas the erstwhile state suffers without electricity,” he said.
Earlier, he said that Jammu and Kashmir is a border state, and it becomes imperative for them to work in coordination with the Govt of India in the national interest.
Besides, he appreciated the people of Bishnah who elect their representatives wisely in every assembly election by going against the wave. He asked them to support the Party leader, Ashwani Kumar from the Bishnah constituency.
