NC had given prior consent to central govt for abrogation of Article 370: Altaf Bukhari

Srinagar, May 5: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today said that National Conference (NC) leaders had given a prior consent to central government for abrogation of Article 370.

Bukharai was addressing a public rally at Chanapora here. He was referring to a meeting of three NC leaders Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Hasnain Masoodi with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 2, 2019 in New Delhi days before the abrogation of Article 370. “They went to Delhi and met the central leaders and gave them the consent to abrogate Article 370. Now they are saying that BJP abrogated it. The NC leaders are accusing us of being A, B and C teams of BJP," he said.

Referring to Apni Party leaders’ meeting with the Prime Minister, Bukhari said “We met the honourable Prime Minister after the abrogation of Article 370 and that too in broad day light. We made the and made the central government leaders to give rights to J&K people on jobs and rights. Had we not done so, this all land would have been bought by Indian capitalists by now and all our jobs would not have been our’s," he said.

The Apni Party President said his party never sought votes for protecting the rights of J&K people." But right now we appeal you to reject these traditional parties in these elections. They have been befooling the people since 1947. Sheikh (Mohammad Abdullah) sahab in assembly had stated that Article 370 is not a sacred book, which cannot be touched or changed. If was the view of NC from very beginning why is it now trying to exploit the sentiments of people now after the abrogation of Article 370," he said.

Bukhari said that Apni Party is committed to ensuring a dignified life for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “We have a clear vision to ensure the economic and political empowerment of the people of J&K, and we possess the will and potential to implement this vision on the ground,” he said.

He urged people to vote and support the Apni Party for a better and brighter future for Jammu and Kashmir and its people. “Unlike conventional parties, the ideology and agenda of the Apni Party are rooted in the politics of integrity and truthfulness. We do not believe in lies and deceptions for the sake of political gain. That is why the Apni Party does not attempt to allure people with tall claims and false promises. We will never promise to deliver the moon and stars to you. We only promise what we believe is possible to fulfill,” Bukhari said.

He stated that Apni Party believes that “we can ensure a dignified life for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.’ “We will ensure permanent peace, enduring prosperity, and equitable development across Jammu and Kashmir, and we will ensure that the people of this region are economically and politically empowered,” he said.