SRINAGAR: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday criticised the ruling National Conference (NC)-led government over its governance and unfulfilled election promises, terming the party’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood a “political gimmick.”
Addressing a workers’ convention at Kunzer in Tangmarg, Bukhari said statehood could not be achieved through protests in New Delhi and accused the ruling party of attempting to divert public attention from its failures.
Claiming that the government had failed to fulfil key promises made during the 2024 Assembly elections, he questioned the status of commitments related to employment, free electricity, LPG cylinders, regularisation of daily wagers and enhancement of ration quotas.
He urged party workers to strengthen the organisation ahead of the forthcoming Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections and said people had begun distinguishing between “empty promises and genuine public service.”
Bukhari also called for allowing local residents to continue manual mining in streams through a regulated permit system, reiterated his demand for dialogue between the Centre and the people of Jammu and Kashmir, sought the release of detainees and urged compensation for farmers affected by recent hailstorms and heavy rains.
He further said that demands for India-Pakistan dialogue should be raised elsewhere in the country rather than in Jammu and Kashmir, arguing that such demands within the Union Territory disturbed local sentiments, particularly among the youth.
Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir accused the NC government of centralising power and weakening democratic institutions, alleging that elected representatives were unable to function independently. He also demanded early elections to Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies and said the Apni Party would continue to act as a responsible opposition.
Provincial President Mohammad Ashraf Mir criticised the outsourcing of government jobs, calling it unjust to educated unemployed youth. He also alleged that the government had failed to address concerns over the existing reservation policy despite being in office for over 20 months.
Several political and social activists joined the Apni Party during the convention, including former lecturer Mohammad Ashraf Mir, former police inspector Farooq Ahmad Paray, former TSOs Abdul Ahad Sofi, Manzoor Ahmad Dar and Bashir Ahmad Malik, NC Wailoo Block vice-president Ghulam Mohiuddin Wani, and NC workers Abul Rashid Qureshi and Mohammad Akbar Khan, among others.
