Srinagar: Apni Party on Saturday announced its support for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir but said it would not participate in the National Conference’s proposed sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on July 20.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s senior leadership at its Srinagar headquarters.
Addressing a press conference, Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said the demand for statehood reflected the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and had the party’s full support. However, he said the party believed the objective should be pursued through dialogue with the Centre rather than protests.
“We believe in dialogue and reconciliation, not protests and confrontations,” Bukhari said.
He said the restoration of statehood had been one of the party’s core demands since its formation in March 2020, along with constitutional safeguards for land and employment rights and the protection of other constitutional rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Bukhari maintained that meaningful engagement with the Government of India was the most effective way to secure these demands, arguing that confrontation had not benefited the region in the past.
Criticising the National Conference, he said the party had decided to organise the protest without wider consultations with other political stakeholders. He added that a broader consensus could have resulted in a more effective strategy for pressing the demand for statehood.
While clarifying that Apni Party was not supporting the proposed protest, Bukhari reiterated that it fully backed the demand for the restoration of statehood.
He also called for political parties to build consensus on issues such as the restoration of statehood, constitutional safeguards for land and jobs, the release of detainees and other public concerns, saying a united approach was necessary to protect the rights and aspirations of the people.
Responding to questions, Bukhari criticised the National Conference over its governance, saying the party would continue to hold the government accountable for its performance.
He also urged the Prime Minister to fulfil what he described as the promise of reducing the “distance between Delhi and the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir” by initiating dialogue with the people of the Union Territory. He said the party would again raise its demands, including the restoration of statehood and constitutional safeguards, with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.
