Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 8: Former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Minister, Altaf Bukhari, today launched his own political party ‘Apni Party’ in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He praised (Ghulam Mohammad) Bakhshi (the former Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir) for his political and economic vision and said that J&K is in need of such a vision at this juncture.
The launch of the party comes at a time when the mainstream leaders including the three former Chief Ministers-Dr Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are in detention under Public Safety Act (PSA).
While addressing a press conference after the launch of the party, Bukhari said that he had been waiting for the last seven months hoping that National Conference (NC) and the PDP would come out and raise the issues confronted by the people.
“Unfortunately, they have not come out. Political parties don’t cease to exist once their leaders are arrested. Now, most of their leaders have been released, if not the presidents of the parties. We believed they would talk about issues, but they chose silence. We thought it necessary to flag issues,” he added. Click here to watch video
Bukhari said there is a yearning for the restoration of the Statehood in Jammu and Kashmir. “Why shouldn’t we raise this issue? Bureaucracy is acting like as if there is martial law imposed in J&K. Why shouldn’t we talk about it? J&K Bank has been converted into sub-office of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. We are aware of these issues and will raise them, come what may,” he said.
Replying to a query about the abrogation of Article 370 last year, Bukhari said that case is still pending in the Apex Court of India and any decision in this regard by the judiciary has to be accepted.
“Nothing can be achieved by opposing the move by Central Government. It will not bring any fruit,” he said.
He said that the party will only focus on the development in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that all the miseries being faced by the people, especially youth will be put to an end. “We are not here to sell dreams or fantasy to our people and instead shall always be pragmatic, honest and fair in our approach,” he said.
However, he added that “restoration of Statehood, domicile rights on land and jobs, beside a holistic and an equitable development of all the regions and sub regions of Jammu and Kashmir forms our core agenda.”
“In this background, we have resolved to create a viable political platform that functions in accordance with the wishes of people and where the people are real stakeholders of the political process. We the subscribers of this declaration hereby constitute and form a political party under the name and style of Jammu Kashmir Apni Party,” he added.
Asked about the formation of party amid continuous detention of mainstream leaders, Bukhari said: “We were waiting for last seven months hoping that the leaders will come out and raise the issues being faced by the people. But, as most of the leaders who were under detention have been released, they preferred to keep mum instead of raising the issues. Therefore, we decided to come up with an alternative to speak for the people.”
He further added that it is not about the PSA on political leaders only, but all those booked under the Act is matter of concern for them.
While justifying the launch of new party, Apni Party, he said that J&K has been passing through pressing times since 1990. “However, the decisions takes in August, 2019 brought some new questions and realities to the fore. An unknown and unimaginable situation arose in the history of free India where a State was demoted to Union Territory. The decision badly affected the self-esteem and pride of the people of J&K”, he added.
He said that the demotion of State of Jammu and Kashmir to Union Territory has badly affected the developmental activities in J&K.
“This has not only resulted in the complete breakdown of political institutions, but also stalled the result-oriented and purposeful developmental activities. Hence, a sense of aggressive discontentment prevails and which cannot be left unattended”, he added.
Bukhari said that the circumstances warranted a formation of a new political party comprised of those who all along had identified and related themselves to the social needs. “A party that can respond to the rational aspirations of people without promising them moon or stars”, he said.
“We are not here to sell dreams or fantasies to our people, instead shall always be pragmatic, honest and fair in our approach. With regard to the Article 370, it is currently sub-judice and we should wait for the decision of the Supreme Court”, he said.
Bukhari said that the restoration of Statehood, domicile rights on land and job, besides a holistic and equitable development of all the regions and sub-regions of J&K forms core agenda of his party. “The party stands for the dignified return of Kashmiri Pandits”, he said.
He added that Apni Party is going to be party of the common people as it has not been floated by any family. “Let me tell you, this is going to be a different party; a party not floated by a family. There would be total restrictions, that anybody who becomes the President of the party cannot be elected more than two times. It is a party, by the commoners, for the commoner and of the commoners”, he said.
“We will not sell anything which is not based on the facts and whatever will be said will be the truth with honesty. The Centre has been saying so many things in the past as well. We have to follow it as it is our need and not ours”, he added.
Bukhari praised Bakhshi (the former Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir) for his political and economic vision and said that J&K is in need of such a vision at this juncture. “In a vibrant democracy, the political leaders must not be put under detention and those under detention, should be released. Bakshi had a political vision; he had an economical vision and I feel that in the present circumstances, I feel that we are in a dire need of such a vision. People have suffered immensely with regard to the economy, what should we do, remain silent?” he added.
“May be my voice is not relevant today, but it sure is going to be relevant in the times to come. We have to do business with Delhi no matter who is in power. We don’t see Delhi from the point of view of who is actually ruling Delhi, we look at it from the point of view of Government of India, so we have to deal with them and we don’t have any hesitation in doing that”, he added.
“There is an atmosphere of mistrust around. We are aiming at eradicating this mistrust between J&K and New Delhi. Earlier, there used to be a rift between Jammu and Kashmir, but today, both the regions are demanding the same”, Bukhari said.
He said that misgivings between people of J&K and Delhi and vice versa have to be ended. “Delhi has misgivings with the people of J&K and J&K has got misgivings with Delhi, we will be trying to put an end to such things. Every single person living in J&K is the stakeholder. Our agenda is development, the politics of trust with utmost honesty. We are a regional party with national outlook”, he said.
“The decision to come up with a party has got nothing to do with the individuals-as the individuals do not matter. We are here to seek the readdressal of the issues being confronted by the people of J&K”, he said.
At the launch of the party, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari was unanimously elected as the president by the members of his new political party. The ex-PDP Minister’s name for the post of president was proposed by former Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir and was seconded by former legislator and Chief Secretary Vijay Bakaya and other ex-legislators.
The meeting over dinner took place at the residence of Altaf Bukhari at Sheikhbagh Lal Chowk on Saturday evening. All the participants in the meeting later unanimously reposed their support and elected Bukhari as their president.
The political leaders who participated in the meeting included Mohammad Dilawar Mir, Usman Majeed, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Abdul Majeed Padder, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Javed Beig, Rafi Mir, Zaffar Manhas, Abdul Rahim Rather, Raja Manzoor, Kamal Arora, Yawar Mir, Noor Mohammed Sheikh, Javed Mirchal, Shoaib Lone, Choudhary Qamar, Syed Asghar Ali, Faqeer Mohammad, Muntazir Mohouddin, G M Bhawan, Hilal ahmad Shah, Neilangan Arora, Vikram Malhotra, Mudasir Amin, Mohammad Ashraf Dar, Samiullah, Kavel Singh, Jagmohan Singh Raina, Manjeet Singh, Irfan Naqeeb and Farooq Andrabi, among other prominent leaders from across Jammu and Kashmir.
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