* Bukhari, Mansoor, Aalam join PC
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Mar 29: The Peoples Conference (JKPC) chief Sajad Lone today said that only the Supreme Court and the Parliament of the country can restore Article 370 and that there is a need to stop “lying” to people on telling them there could be any other way to do it.
Lone said that no one can afford disengagement with New Delhi and that there is a possibility of doing things differently in the present situation of J&K.
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He said that Article 370 can be restored through two institutions, either the SC or the political institution which is the Parliament and represents the people of India.
“We were among the first to challenge the abrogation of Article 370 in the Supreme Court and we have to stop lying to people as there is no other magic wand that can restore it,” he said.
He was talking to the media persons here during a press conference during which three NC and PDP leaders formally joined the party. Those who joined the party include a former Minister and NC leader Basharat Bukhari and PDP’s former leader Peer Mansoor and ex-MLC Khursheed Aalam.
The PC leader said that there is no possibility of getting back Article 370 without engaging with the Parliament, by which, he said, he means people of India.
“You cannot possibly even dream of getting Article 370 back by not engaging with the people of India. The ball is in their court and they will decide whether we get it back or not,” he said.
He added that there is a need for clearing the misunderstandings that have crept in and that no one can afford to disengage with Delhi.
“The more you irritate them with negative talks, the more you are confirming that it (Article 370) is not going to come back, we have to engage with them. There is a need of clearing the misunderstandings; you cannot afford to disengage with Delhi-by Delhi, I mean people of India, the Union Government and the opposition,” he said.
On the joining of three new entrants, Lone said that these leaders have joined a political movement and that it is a moment of pride for the party to welcome the leaders into the party folds.
“They have contributed wherever they have been; the caravan of change has started; they have a great experience and hopefully they will play a pivotal role in the politics of J&K in coming times,” he said.
He further said that the party will play a constructive role in the extraordinary situation of J&K and at the same will do everything to navigate through the troubled waters of the region.
Basharat Bukhari, on the occasion, said that there was a clash of ideologies in the PDP which then compelled him to leave the party. “We faced a lot of things while being there. There was a clash of ideologies in the PDP. Then many people from PDP came and told me to form a new party after the Assembly was dissolved,” he said,
He said that he did not agree to that, “because creating new parties only divide the votes and I was personally against it.”
Peer Mansoor termed Sajad a sincere man and someone who thinks out of the box. He also said that political parties have been promising skies to people, but the actual situation is quite different.
“We promised skies to people but nothing was achieved; rather what we had was snatched from us, and achieved nothing. I spent around 6 months in jail with Sajad and there I discovered him. He is a very practical man and very sincere. Whatever he said will happen, is happening and has happened. It has all come true. He has got out of the box things, solution,” he said.
Pertinent to mention here that Peer Mansoor, former MLA from Shangus had resigned from the PDP in February this year, while Khursheed Alam had also left PDP citing internal issues and Basharat Bukhari parted his ways with the National Conference this month.
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