National Conference, PDP have long history of deceptions: Altaf Bukhari

Srinagar, May 19: Apni Party President, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, today said that the National Conference (NC) and PDP have a long history of deceptions.

He said that the leaders of these parties created empires and established their family rule here by deceiving innocent people who had placed their trust in these leaders.

Bukhari was addressing a party convention at Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Apni Party president said that the dynastic rule has caused intense damage to the interests of Jammu and Kashmir and its people over the past seventy years. He urged people to use the power of their vote to rid themselves of the clutches of these traditional parties and their leaders.

Talking about his and his colleagues' association with the PDP in the past, Bukhari said, “We had joined the PDP with the aim of combating NC’s decades-long dynastic rule, which we believed was harming the interests of J&K and its people. The founding leader of the PDP claimed that he believed in democratic values and was thus against dynastic politics. We trusted him, not knowing that he too was pursuing the establishment of his own family rule here. We were utterly shocked to see that, while passing away from this world, he did not forget to hand the reins of the party to none other than his own daughter. At that moment, we realised that another political dynasty had been established. Now, his daughter is grooming her own daughter to inherit the legacy of khandani raj.”

On the PDP’s prolonged relationship with the BJP, Bukhari said that shortly after the assembly elections in 2014, he visited Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who had decided to join hands with the BJP to form a coalition government, despite having received a public mandate based on the PDP's promise to keep the BJP at bay in Jammu and Kashmir. “I strictly opposed the idea of forming a coalition government with the BJP. I strongly tried to convince him, even using some harsh words to emphasize that this decision was not right. Finally, he joined hands with the BJP, and the rest is history,”he said.

He said that J&K people can never forget the deaths of children, caused by the use of extreme force in PDP government. Bukhari said, “More than 200 people, mostly children, were killed, and thousands of boys and girls were blinded by the use of pallet guns when Mehbooba Mufti was at the helm. Instead of being apologetic for his failure to protect the young kids, she tried to justify these killings by heartlessly remarking, ‘Kiya ye bachay chocolates aur doodh lene niklay thay’ (Had these children come out of their homes to fetch chocolates and milk for themselves). How can people forget these ruthless words from some who claims to be a leader? People still hate here for these shameful remarks over the deaths of children.”

He also blamed the traditional parties, especially the NC and PDP for befooling people by claiming that their “People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD)” would restore the abrogated article 370 and 35A.

He said, “Nobody knows why they established PAGD in the first place. What was the purpose of creating this so-called alliance and fooling people by claiming that it would restore the abrogated Article 370, and 35A? Even now, nobody knows why this so-called alliance was dismantled after four years. These questions should be answered. Additionally, they must explain why they took the matter of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A to the court. This was a political issue that could have been fought politically. Now that the court has upheld the abrogation of these articles, they can never be restored. They have always been part of conspiracies against the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Creating PAGD, dismantling it, and taking the issue of Articles 370 and 35A to the Supreme Court were all well-thought-out plans.”

On the deceptions of NC, Bukhari said that this party has been deceiving people through its misleading narratives and emotional slogans for the past more than seventy years. He said, “NC leaders has a long history of deceptions. The party that Kashmiris had placed their trust in was the Muslim Conference, established in the 1930s. Nobody knows at whose behest the name of the party was changed from Muslim Conference to National Conference. This marked the beginning of deception by the leaders of the NC. Subsequently, they kept people occupied with fake and deceptive slogans such as ‘Raishumari’, ‘Autonomy’, ‘Self-rule’, and so on. They are happy with New Delhi when in power and oppose it when out of power.”

He stated that these parties can go to any extent for the sake of power. “Once upon a time, they used to refer to Congress leaders and workers as ‘the worms of the gutter’. They compelled people to subject Congress workers to social boycott to the extent that people would not attend their funerals. Now, they are hand in glove with the same Congress people simply because they believe that Congress could help them attain power,” he said.

Bukhari urged people to get themselves rid of these traditional parties, especially the political dynasties.

He promised that Apni Party, once it receives the public mandate to serve, will ensure the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, the release of prisoners, the revocation of AFSPA, and the issuance of police verification reports to job aspirants and passport seekers without any hindrance, alongside various other commitments.