Lok Sabha polls not referendum: Altaf Bukhari

Srinagar, May 4: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today said the ongoing Lok Sabha elections is not a referendum as is being claimed by some parties to mislead the people and to put to them on wrong path again.

He was talking to media persons after a party convention at Habba Kadal area of Srinagar’s Shehr-e-Khas.” Some parties for their vested political interests are telling the people that the parliamentary polls is a refrandum. They are doing so to mislead the innocent common masses and put them on the wrong path as thety used to do earlier,” Bukhari said. He appealed the people to reject these parties in polls.

Earlier, addressing the convention he said that “traditional parties deliberately subjected the residents of Srinagar city, Shehr-e-Khas, to unnecessary sufferings, solely for their personal political advantages.” Apni Party President said, “These leaders exploited the innocence of the city dwellers by keeping them engaged in disputes like Sher-Bakra and India-Pakistan, and so on. Their aim was to keep the pot boiling and ensure their political dividends out of the turmoil.”

Bukhari xpressed his heartfelt sympathies with the people residing in the city, saying that most of the population here lives under difficult circumstances, lacking adequate housing, financial resources, and job opportunities.

He said, “It pains me to see that most of the population in downtown Srinagar endures challenging conditions marked by inadequate housing, financial constraints, and a lack of employment opportunities. I know that they have been pushed into this situation over the years and decades by the traditional political parties and their leaders, who kept the people of the city busy with conflicts like Sher-Bakra, India-Pakistan, and so on, only to gain their own political advantages out of these conflicts.”

Bukhari added that the educated young boys and girls from the city are grappling with the lack of employment opportunities, as they neither have avenues for doing businesses nor do they fall into any reserved category to benefit from the government job markets. “Many of these boys and girls have surpassed their marriageable age, either because they do not have proper avenues for earning or they lack adequate housing to raise a family,” he added.

Talking about the glorious past of downtown Srinagar, Bukhari remarkedthat this historic city has been an epicentre of rich culture and civilisation for centuries. “Moreover, this city has been the abode of the masters of different traditional crafts and skills. It is only due to political apathy, misleading narratives, and misrepresentations that the present generation finds itself grappling with challenges and dilemmas,”he said.

However, Bukhari promised that when Apni Party gets a public mandate to serve, it would not only create employment opportunities and modernized housing in Shere-e-Khas but will also undertake the task of restoring the ancient glory of this historic city. He said, “I assure you that Apni Party has a clear vision for the prosperity and development of this city. Once we get the mandate, we will ensure the well-being and prosperity of the people here. We will change the scenario of this Shere-e-Khas for the better.”

Apni Party President also promised that he would ensure that the people who are in jail are released and back home to restart their normal lives.