Srinagar: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, on Tuesday, said that “every leader who has been at the helm in Jammu and Kashmir over the past seventy-plus years has compromised one thing or another before New Delhi for personal and political gain.”
He said that “whatever J&K has lost during this period cannot be regained overnight.”
Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari made these remarks today while addressing party convention at Dak Bungalow Khanabal in Anantnag.
Talking on the events of August 5, 2019, Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari described them as “backbreaking” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. However, he asserted that “Kashmiri leaders who held power over the past seven decades not only failed to safeguard the rights of the people but also bartered public interests for their own personal and political gain.”
He said, “We witnessed the power of India’s Home Minister on August 5, 2019. He stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status and statehood, and divided it into two Union Territories—by presenting a few resolutions within minutes. There was once a Home Minister from Kashmir. Why didn’t he use his authority to make Articles 370 and 35A permanent features of the Constitution? Who could have stopped him?” He added, “Similarly, every Chief Minister who held office here has traded the people’s interests for his or her own political gains. They made us lost everything over the past more than seven decades. We cannot attain it back overnight.”
Lashing out at the government Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “One loses patience seeing the poor performance of this government. Despite having received a massive mandate, this government has failed even to provide basic amenities to the people. They have forgotten the promises made in their election manifesto. Where are the two lakh jobs and other enticing commitments they had promised to deliver to the people?”
After the convention, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari spoke with reporters. Responding to a question, he said that the jailed leaders must be provided justice. He said, “I have said it before, and I am saying it again: Shabir Ahmad Shah must be provided medical attention, as he rightfully deserves it. He is an elderly person and could be placed under house arrest instead of being kept in jail.”
He added, “Similarly, justice should be provided to Engineer Rashid Sahib. After all, the fact must be acknowledged that half a million people have given him a mandate. Yasin Malik, too, should be given the opportunity of a fair trial. I am not asking for favours for these leaders—only justice. They must not be deprived of justice.”
When asked about Omar Abdullah’s assertion that he is willing to quit his chair if it helps restore J&K’s statehood, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “He doesn’t need to leave the chair; rather, he needs to use the power of that chair to get statehood restored.”
