Kept my promise; joined BJP which granted Paharis ST status: Mushtaq Bukhari

Jammu, Feb 15: Veteran leader from Rajouri-Poonch and former minister Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari Thursday stated that he kept his word by joining Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which granted Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to Paharis, thus fulfilling their long-pending demand.

Former vice chairman J&K Pahari Advisory Board, Bukhari, who had also represented NC from Surankote assembly constituency, was addressing media after joining the BJP along with his supporters, in an impressive function at the party headquarter here.

“I had promised that I would stand wholeheartedly with the party which would grant Paharis ST status. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, working in unison, fulfilled their promise which they made to Paharis. Hence, I’m also keeping my word by joining my cause with the BJP (as its part),” he said.

“After 70 years, my Pahari tribe got its due right after a protracted struggle. For this, I extend my gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Ravinder Raina, in particular, struggled a lot for our cause. BJP leadership gave this status with dignity to Paharis, who had been begging for their due rights but successive regimes not only ignored them but exploited them. I would ask other Pahari people also to support the political party (BJP) which honestly served their cause. Paharis should set a precedent for the generations to come for a promising future for all,” Bukhari said.

Responding to media queries, Bukhari asserted that he was convinced about Paharis’ support for BJP for this gesture (ST status) in the ensuing polls. “There’s no doubt that Paharis have been discriminated against by the successive regimes of Congress, National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the name of granting them ST status,” he said, in reply to another question.