Jammu, May 9: Apni Party President, Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari, on Tuesday appealed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold early assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The assembly elections should be held as early as possible in Jammu and Kashmir. We have expectations with the Prime Minister that he will fulfill his promise,” Bukhari said while addressing a one day workers’ meeting at Chatha, Satwari here.
The meeting was organised by Provincial President Jammu, Women Wing, Pavneet Kour.
Bukhari recalled how they were warmly welcomed by the Prime Minister on March 14 and 15, 2020 following the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A which snatched the land and jobs rights of the people of J&K.
“We met the PM as the people had apprehensions that outsiders will settle in J&K. When the people were in complete despair, we came out to represent them. Accordingly, the PM promised protection to the land and jobs for the locals of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He further said that the statehood should be restored to win the confidence and hold elections to end the growing public concerns with regard to various issues.
Bukhari said, “We saw truthfulness in the eyes of the Prime Minister. Therefore, we expect from the PM that elections will be held and people will be given the right to elect their government. Being the largest democracy of the world, the PM should accept the demand by allowing people to exercise their constitutional rights.”
Meanwhile, he said that the LG Government has cornered the J&K Administrative Services, and J&K Police Services Officers and replaced them “with the imported IAS and IPS officers who are unfriendly with the people of both the regions.” “It is a matter of grave concern that the JKAS and JKPS officers have been sidelined by the government. However, these officers must get ready to take the responsibility. They are the backbone of J&K,” he said.
He asked the people to bring change in the governance whenever the assembly elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The J&K BJP has failed to bring any kind of change. It is dependent upon the national level politics. They just implemented their political agenda to gain vote bank politics across the country, but failed in Jammu. The Jammu people trusted BJP because they contested the last assembly elections against the dynastic rule but after the assembly poll results in 2014. They joined one of the two dynastic (NC and PDP) political parties i.e., PDP within 24 hours and formed a coalition government that brought disaster for the people of two regions in an unexpected manner,” he said.
He stated that the biggest disaster for the people was abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A and then the process of importing IAS/IPS officers from across the country by undermining the calibre of the JKAS and JKPS officers who deserved to be given better places to address the unexpectedly growing issues.
Bukhari stated that Apni Party which has no tinted record should be elected to form the next government. The NC, PDP, Congress Party and BJP ruled J&K by adopting the policy of divide and rule on the name of region, or religion, he said and added that this divisive policy is responsible for terrorism in Kashmir as well as in Jammu.
He further said, “We need to end the politics of hate and division. The people should support the Apni Party to form the next government in J&K so that we could work for their equitable development, protect their resources, through the contractors from outside, protect the jobs in the private sector, and work for the business, and other sectors.”
He said that the BJP has been directly ruling J&K for the last several years, but they have brought miseries with the imported IAS/IPS officers.
“The JKAS/JKPS officers have been sidelined to give postings to the bureaucrats from outside J&K. These imported officers are unfriendly with the local population and force them to stand in queues for long hours,” he said.
When the inefficiency of these IAS/IPS officers is highlighted before the public, he said, they launch an anti-encroachment drive and displace the poor people from the small piece of land they have been holding for decades.
“We want to assure the people that we will not allow snatching of even an inch of land from them. These officers who have been harassing the people would be made accountable,” he said.
He further referred to the concerns of the people with regard to the Smart City Project in Jammu which had completely failed before its take-off. He pointed out that the authorities have brought selective contractors in Jammu to benefit them.
