Srinagar: The President of the Apni Party, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, on Tuesday, said that parties such as the NC and PDP lack the legitimacy to seek votes from the people in the ongoing parliamentary polls.
He said that the performance of their sitting MPs has been shamefully poor over the past five years, especially regarding the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.
He urged people to relegate these parties to their rightful status by rejecting them through the power of their votes.
He was addressing the Apni Party’s public rally at Gouripora Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district today.
Addressing the occasion, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “In the last parliamentary elections in 2019, parties like NC and PDP sought votes from the people, promising that they would protect Article 370 and 35A in the parliament. People trusted their commitment and elected NC’s candidates in all three seats in the Valley. The PDP also had its two members in the Rajya Sabha. However, when the testing time came on August 5, 2019, these so-called public representatives chose to remain silent on the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. At the very least, they should have resigned in protest against the abrogation of these articles. Furthermore, throughout their five-year tenure, these MPs have neither spoken a word in the interest of the people of Jammu and Kashmir nor have they done anything to bring economic dividends to the people. Even after these failures, these parties shamelessly come to the people yet again to seek votes. They no longer have the legitimacy to seek votes from the people.”
Talking about the deceptions by the PDP, the Apni Party president said, “In the assembly elections in 2014, the PDP sought votes from people by promising to keep the BJP out of power in Jammu and Kashmir. People trusted the leadership of this party and gave it the mandate. However, to their utter shock, after winning the election, the PDP joined hands with the same BJP to form a coalition government here. Two years later, when this government killed more than two hundred people, mostly children, and blinded dozens of boys and girls, the leader of the PDP justified these killings by heartlessly remarking, ‘Kiya ye bachay chocolates aur doodh lene niklay thay’ (Had these children come out of their homes to fetch chocolates and milk for themselves). These ruthless words will always haunt people in Kashmir. I wonder how these leaders get the courage to shamelessly approach people seeking votes, yet again.”
He urged people to reject these parties through the power of their votes. He said, “You must show these deceptive parties their right place by denying your vote to them.”
Extending gratitude to the people for attending the rally, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “I am thankful to you for taking the time to hear me out today. I want to assure you that unlike traditional political parties, our politics is rooted in truthfulness and integrity. We need your support so that we can challenge these political families and deceptive parties that have been harming the interests of the people for years and decades. This is a battle between truth and falsehood, and I humbly request your unwavering support in our mission to defeat the politicians who rely on falsehoods and deceptions.”
Reiterating his demand for allowing the religious organisation to perform their religious and social duties, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “Apni Party is committed to ensuring that religious organizations in Jammu and Kashmir are allowed to fulfill their social and religious obligations without any hindrance. We strongly believe that these organizations play a crucial role in eliminating societal evils. For instance, the ongoing drug menace poses a significant challenge to our society, and religious organizations have a pivotal role to play in combating this menace.”
Terming the day when Article 370 and 35A were abrogated as a black day, the President of the Apni Party said, “I have no doubt that Jammu and Kashmir is destined to be an integral part of the country, and it will always remain so. But having said that, I strongly believe that August 5, 2019, was undoubtedly a black day for the entire population of Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, New Delhi has repeatedly hurt the sentiments of the people of J&K. Yet, I believe that the solution to our problems will also come from Delhi, not from somewhere else.” He added, “We are grappling with so many problems and issues, which can only be resolved with the help of the central government. Once Apni Party receives the public mandate, it will ensure that New Delhi helps us overcome these miseries. We have to bring hundreds of our jailed youth back to their homes so they can resume their normal lives with their families. Thousands of our youngsters, mostly job aspirants, are being denied police verifications just because some of their relatives have been involved in objectionable ideologies in the past. We have to get these verifications cleared for the sake of our youth. We have to create job opportunities and infrastructure here for the employment of our younger generations. All these things can be done only with the help of the central government, whoever is at the helm there.”
