Apni Party holds workers' convention | Several CMs from Anantnag district remained busy with deceptive politics: Altaf Bukhari

Srinagar, Nov 18: Apni Party President, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, said on Saturday that several J&K chief ministers (CMs) who belonged to Anantnag district remained busy with deceptive politics and emotional blackmailing, instead of focusing on the development of this district.

He stated that if these chief ministers had focused on developing infrastructure at the tourist places in this district, it would have created plenty of job opportunities here.

According to a press release, Bukhari was addressing party’s district-level workers' convention in Anantnag . The convention, held at Dak Bungalow, Khanabal, saw active participation from party functionaries and workers from across the district.

Apni Party President expressed concern that the several chief ministers from the Anantnag district had not given the necessary attention to the development of the area, leading to a lack of progress and deprivation. He asserted that if Apni Party is given the mandate to serve the people, it will ensure comprehensive development.

He said, “We will prioritise the development of adequate infrastructure at tourist destinations in this district to create employment opportunities. Additionally, our focus will extend to the development of power projects, contributing to overall progress and job generation.”

Expressing his concern about the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Apni Party President said, “The people in Jammu and Kashmir are being subjected to unwarranted hardships imposed by the government. A large number of our youth are lodged in jails; those affiliated with various religious organisations are being harassed. The individuals aspiring for jobs and passports encounter obstacles as they are denied mandatory positive verification reports, and most of the youth are going through unemployment. These pressing concerns demand immediate attention and resolution, thus, I urge the centre to grant the rights to the people that they are entitled to, as per the constitution of the country.”

He added that the officials responsible for the unjust treatment to the people of Jammu and Kashmir must understand that, by doing so, they are not rendering a great service to the country; rather, they are doing a disservice. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are entitled to the same rights as those from any other place, Bukhari.

Lashing out at the traditional political parties, Apni Party President said that these parties are responsible for the prevailing situation that people of Jammu and Kashmir are suffering from. He said, “These parties, especially the two family-based parties, have remained in power for years and decades, yet they have failed to create enough avenues for the economic empowerment of the people. On the other hand, the emotional sloganeering by these parties has created an unconducive environment here, which has eventually led to deaths and destruction here.”

He added, “These deceptive parties and their leaders kept people busy with emotional slogans like ‘Raishumari,’ ‘Autonomy,’ ‘Self-rule,' and so on. Although they neither had any authority nor the will to achieve any of these things, yet they kept people emotionally allured by these slogans solely for their own political dividends. “Instead of focusing on the development that they could have undertaken while in power, they completely ignored it. Today, we lack infrastructure in every sector, including education and health. We do not have enough hospitals, nor do we have adequate infrastructure at tourist destinations such as Pahalgam, Verinag, Kokernag, Achabal, and other places. If these areas had been developed over the years, they could have provided employment to a large number of people today,” he said.

Bukhari assured the people that the Apni Party, when mandated to serve, would ensure the economic empowerment of the people of J&K.

He stated, “I promise you that if the Apni Party is given the mandate to form a government here, we will explore the potential of our natural resources to create reliable avenues and build infrastructure, generating employment opportunities. We are committed to ensuring the economic empowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Addressing the convention, the party’s senior vice president Ghulam Hassan Mir reiterated Apni Party’s call for holding elections in Jammu and Kashmir without any further delay. He said, “In democracies, people have the right to choose their own representatives to place them at the helm. We are the people of Jammu and Kashmir being denied their rights in India, which is the largest democracy in the world. I urge the centre to conduct the due assembly, panchayat, and municipal election here without any further delay. We should not be deprived of our right to choose our representatives.”