Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday took strong exception to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti’s statement in which she said that the restoration of statehood for J&K was not her party’s demand.
“How can you get Article 370 back unless statehood is restored,” Bukhari said at a party workers’ meeting in Kupwara reacting to Mufti’s statement made on Tuesday that the restoration of statehood for J&K was not the demand of her party which would not accept anything short of restoration of Articles 370 and 35-A.
Bukhari said Mufti was opposing the restoration of statehood at the behest of the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).
“What drama is she playing? She calls others the ‘B team’ of the BJP but her statement clearly shows that she wants to become the ‘A team’ for the party in power at New Delhi. I wonder whether you deserved the respect we gave you at one point of time,” Bukhari said. “One of your party leaders is an expert in narrating ‘Ram Katha’. Should we continue the suffering of the people by telling them Ram Katha.”
Apni Party headed by Bukhari has been pressing for restoration of statehood for J&K, asserting that the party demands achievable things and does not believe in “sustaining people on a diet of empty promises”. “We never said we don’t want Article 370 back. But, who will give us that since the matter is pending in the highest court of the country. Would street statements get us back Article 370? For the sake of Allah, let us not deceive the common man by promising him what is beyond our capacity at the moment. Can’t we make a beginning with what can be achieved,” Bukhari said.