Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party on Wednesday carried out a silent protest march against the recent Delimitation Commission report and submitted a memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Apni Party president Syed Altaf Bukhari who addressed the
media persons during the rally said “slamming arbitrary laws is unacceptable to the people of J&K”.
In the memorandum, Apni Party stated that they had earlier welcomed the Delimitation Commission and even interacted with their delegation while suggesting certain requisite changes. “We believed that the process would be factual and transparent, however, the recent proposed report is visibly disproportionate and encourages doubts of favoritism towards a specific political party,” the memorandum stated.
It reads that the panel report defeats the very idea of a secular India and compromises on the rules guiding the process involved in territorial delimitations of Assembly constituencies as mandated by the Election Commission India and the constitution.
“Apni Party takes a strong exception to such unprincipled edicts that primarily are aimed to disturb the harmony in J&K where people of different religious belief and ethnicities have continued to live together in peace. However, Apni Party will never allow these schemes to succeed as we believe in the idea of equal representation and development of all the regions of J&K,” it reads.
The party also urged the Central Government to intervene in this matter that poses a threat to the integrity and soul of our constitution.
The memorandum also reads that Apni Party has always welcomed the prospective initiatives that are incorporated to uplift the regional economy and benefit the local inhabitant of J&K, but the Real Estate Summit held in Jammu undermines the Domicile Law that has been introduced to safeguard the rights of the natives of J&K.
“Such moves require majoritarian consent of the locals which can thereafter be implemented by a government elected by the people. The local population has a deep resentment over these arbitrary laws, which routinely gives them an impression of disempowerment and adds further to the feeling of alienation.”
It reads that Apni Party is resolute in its demand that these decisions fall specifically under the domain of an elected government while the current administration must focus on safeguarding the rights of the people, curbing spiking unemployment rates and inflation in the Union Territory.
It also reads that moreover, Apni Party demands that the Government should desist from censoring the media in Jammu and Kashmir and should encourage the constructive criticism that is essential for bolstering democratic values.
“The Constitution of India guarantees ‘Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression’ which needs to be put in practice in letter and spirit. The media outlets and Press are facing immense hurdles in reporting on ground and numerous policies are being introduced every now and then which impedes it to function properly.”
Apni Party said that it stands resolute with the Press and for their rights to express fair opinions and constructive criticism. “Therefore, Apni demands that while carrying out the delimitation process and implementing other laws to the region of Jammu and Kashmir, the secular fabric of the country must be kept intact,” it reads.
A statement issued by Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party said that on Wednesday it staged a silent protest against the introduction of various government laws that are detrimental to the interests of the local inhabitants of the region.
In Kashmir division, the protest march was carried out under the leadership of Apni Party President Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari alongwith other party stalwarts. The march commenced from the Party Head office at Sheikh Bagh, Lal Chowk which was later on halted by the police officials.
In a similar protest at Jammu, the silent march was led by Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir who was accompanied by Party leadership belonging to the Jammu division. The nature of the protest was to register the dissent of the Party with regards to the recent Delimitation Report, tampering with Domicile Law and freedom of press. The Party Leadership also submitted a comprehensive memorandum wherein the demands with regards to safeguarding the rights of the people of J&K were propounded.