Set 35-50 years residency requirement for domicile eligibility: Altaf Bukhari

Jammu, Nov 29: Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Saturday announced that his party will launch an agitation to ensure that the residency period is increased for obtaining domicile in J&K.

Addressing a news conference in Jammu after a party event in which a prominent political and social activist from Gool Reasi, Syed Zulfiqar Ayobe alias Baji Sahib, joined the Apni Party on Saturday, Bukhari said that the agitation would be launched if the J&K government fails to act on the issue within three months.

He demanded that the residency requirement for domicile should be extended from the current 15 years to 50 years or at least 35 years.

Bukhari expressed deep concern over the recent demolition of journalist Arfaz Daing’s house by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), saying it was ironic that the government was not even willing to take responsibility for this unjustifiable act.

“The elected government claims it has no knowledge of the demolition, and the LG administration says the same. Should we then ask the United Nations (UN) on whose instructions this demolition was carried out? People have given a strong mandate to the ruling party. It is now the party’s responsibility to clarify this issue,” he said.

However, Bukhari applauded the victim’s neighbour, Kuldeep Sharma of Jammu’s Narwal, who offered a piece of land to Daing for rebuilding his house.

“Sharma Ji has sent a clear message to the communal elements in society. This is the true spirit of J&K. People of this land are not communal,” he said.

The Apni Party chief reiterated his call for the Centre to initiate a dialogue with the people of J&K, asserting that the restoration of statehood must be followed by this meaningful engagement, which was promised by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.

On the issue over the admission of students from a particular faith at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), he said, “Those who object to the admission of those students should understand that these admissions were made purely on the basis of merit through NEET. If the institute was intended to cater exclusively to students of a particular community, it should have been designated as a minority institution at the time of its establishment. I understand that a particular community cannot be considered a minority here, but if such an arrangement was desired, a suitable legal provision would have had to be explored then. At this stage, raising objections holds no merit.”

Bukhari said, “Admissions to any educational institution should always be based on merit, not on religious identity. The day we begin selecting students on the basis of their religion, our society will start to fall apart.”

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “control the BJP leaders” who, he alleged, “are trying to communalise things.”

The Apni Party President said, “It appears that some members of the BJP are acting beyond appropriate limits. I urge the PM to address this for the larger interests of the nation.”

Lashing out at the elected government, he said, “The ruling party’s election manifesto was meant to cheat people. The slogans and promises made in it were misleading and false. Over a year has passed, yet people have not received the promised 200 units of free electricity or 12 LPG cylinders. The promise of 50,000 jobs is still unmet, and daily-wage workers’ issues remain unresolved. This government has failed on all fronts.”

He said that there had been a security lapse that led to the horrific terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam earlier this year.

“Unfortunately, neither was responsibility fixed nor was anyone punished for the negligence,” Bukhari said.

The Apni Party President was accompanied by the party’s provincial president, Manjit Singh and other senior leaders.

The political activist from Reasi joined the Apni Party along with six former Sarpanchs, six former Naib Sarpanchs, and 15 Panches.

Bukhari, Singh, and other leaders gave a warm welcome to the new entrants.