Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari bats for restoration of dialogue with J&K people; demands immediate conduct of Panchayat and ULB polls

STC NEWS DRSK
SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 14 (STC): Restore dialogue with the people, especially the youth of Jammu and Kashmir, for confidence-building and to end the mistrust and negativity through meaningful dialogue, urged former minister and Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday. He was addressing a workers’ convention in Charar-e-Sharief.
He also urged the J&K government to take measures for the immediate holding of Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections. He also demanded that the existing reservation policy be rationalised.
He said that by holding Assembly elections in 2024, one tier of the democratic process was completed, but to ensure grassroots-level empowerment of the people and strengthen grassroots democratic institutions, it is important that Panchayat and ULB polls are held without any further delay.
He further said that grassroots-level empowerment through Panchayat and ULB polls was mentioned in the LG’s address to the House, but it seems that the elected government is not serious about holding these elections.
Expressing his concern over growing unemployment, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari demanded that the government take concrete measures to create employment opportunities for the youth. He said that, unfortunately, there was nothing in the recently passed budget to generate job opportunities. He further stressed that the existing reservation policy must be rationalised to ensure fairness and balance.
Accusing the ruling NC and the Opposition BJP, along with their leaders, of dividing people for personal and political gains, he said that both parties are hand in glove and are helping advance each other’s agenda.
He alleged that the NC criticises the BJP merely to gain people’s support in the Valley, while the BJP does the same to secure public backing in Jammu. By doing so, he said, both parties reap political dividends at the cost of people’s unity and the harmony between the two regions.
“If the present government is sincere in protecting the interests of the people, it should consider increasing the residency requirement for obtaining a domicile certificate from the current 15 years to 50 years,” Bukhari added.
Apni Party President said that traditional regional leaders, especially those led by two families, have been exploiting people through deceitful slogans and false promises. He urged people to stop falling prey to their deceptions.
He said, “Your victimization and exploitation by these traditional parties and their leaders have been going on for decades. Unfortunately, you have allowed them to exploit you. At one point in history, you even chanted self-insulting slogans like, “Ala karay ga, wangan karay ga, bab karay ga.” Then we saw how they treated people like those vegetables. At the very least, you must now stop following the same parties and their leaders blindly.”
“These parties and their leaders are responsible for our miseries. They have consistently engaged in political gimmickry, allowing the rights of the people to be undermined for the sake of their own political gains, he said.

(Straight Talk Communications)