Srinagar, Sep 23 (KNS): Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday observed that people of Jammu and Kashmir are being deprived of a constitutionally guaranteed democratic set-up which is adding to the alienation among masses in the region.

Bukhari was addressing a Party workers meeting of Shopian district at its office on The Bund in Lal Chowk.

Taking a strong exception to the remarks made by Lt. Governor on bi-annual ‘Darbar’ move of shifting capitals from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa, Bukhari said that Apni Party won’t allow any further divisions of Jammu and Kashmir on regional and emotional basis.

“The annual Darbar move symbolized a cultural exchange and an economic opportunity for the people of two regions and it cannot be ceased arbitrarily. Stopping this centuries old practice means that you are creating an emotional wedge between the people of two divisions,” he remarked.   

Highlighting the grim challenges faced by the people across Jammu and Kashmir, Bukhari stressed on the need for restoring a popular government in the erstwhile State as soon as possible. He said the people of J&K feel more alienated in wake of the absence of any elected government and because of the persistent tumultuous situation coupled with a long spell of governor’s rule.

Bukhari added that Apni Party must not be compared with the traditional political parties who exploited the sentiments of people during the last 70 years for their petty electoral gains. “We are not like those who had called for Plebiscite, Autonomy or Self Rule. Later they abandoned these slogans for the sake of power and perks. They are the ones who raise the restoration of Article 370 and 35-A during election time and later become signatories of resolutions that even don’t mention about it,” Bukhari observed.

Taking a strong exception to &K’s government’s agreement to relinquish 258 MW Dulhasti Power Project- Stage II to NHPC, Bukhari said that the move would have serious and far reaching politico-economic implications.

He said Dulhasti Power Project Stage-II was a clean and comparatively less complex project with all requisite clearances in hand and was not at all difficult to be taken up exclusively by the Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt. Ltd (CVPPL) without involving outside partners.

“Such a decision regarding handing over Dulhasti Power Project-II to NHPC will undermine the economic interests and political power of Jammu and Kashmir. It will further disempower the citizens of J&K who have been aspiring for the return of power projects from NHCP,” he added.

He said the J&K government must rectify its’ dereliction of duty in protecting the public assets by immediately taking back the possession of Dulhasti Power Project-II in order to prevent the economic losses besides protecting the local employment in Chenab Valley.

Speaking on the occasion, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, Party’s vice president observed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are fed up with the developmental deficit plaguing the erstwhile state. He said that Apni Party came to being when all other political parties adopted silence over the most turbulent situation.

“This Party came to existence not for power and perks but has always raised the voice of voiceless people. We came forward just to address the sufferings of the people of J&K,” Manhas said, while appealing to the Party workers to work in cohesion for redressal of public grievances.  

He said that the traditional political maneuvering has now no scope in Jammu and Kashmir and the political parties who have been fooling people for decades on different emotional pretexts need to adopt truthful politics. “Apni Party believes in pragmatic and ingenuous politics. It is our firm opinion that people have rejected deceitful politics and will check and support the political parties on the basis of their performance,” he added.

Besides DDC Shopian Chairperson Ms Bilkees, Vice Chairperson Irfan Manhas, DDC Members Tahir Mir, Fazal Din and Yasmeen Jan, Tanveer Tak District Secretary Shopian, Block President Abdul Rashid Mir, Haji Ghulam Qadir Bhat, Haji Abdul Majeed, Ali Mohammad Wanna, Umer and Suhail, the meeting was attended by a huge gathering of Party’s prominent workers from Shopian district. (KNS)