The critical statement of Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) against Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) over it’s decision on participation in district development council (DDC) elections won’t find any takers in Jammu & Kashmir unless and until the Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) itself does not give explanations to the people of Jammu and Kashmir over it’s own promises and responses to the central government’s decisions on domicile law, new land laws, delimitation initiative and statehood restoration . Before asking questions from PAGD over it’s promises on challenges to withdrawal of special status and enforcement J&K reorganization Act 2019, the Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) will have to explain it’s failures over it’s own promises on domicile law, new land laws, delimitation initiative and statehood restoration . Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party sought 25 years qualifying period for residential rights under the new domicile law but the central government approved a domicile law on it’s own whims and wishes without taking the consent of even a single mainstream party of Jammu & Kashmir including the Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party. Why the J&K Apni Party was not taken on board over a hostile domicile law for residential rights can be best explained by JKAP top brass and not by PAGD or any other political party. When it came to the issue of enforcement of new land laws in Jammu & Kashmir, the central government yet again did not took any mainstream political party including the J&K Apni Party on board and instead announced implementation of new highly controversial new land laws which has attracted huge condemnation from the people of all shades and opinions irrespective of regional and religious affiliations in both Kashmir valley and as wells as Jammu region. Unlike PAGD, the J&K Apni Party instead of challenging the controversial domicile and land laws has endorsed them one way or other. While even the leaders of divisive political tendencies like Chowdhry Lal Singh have opposed the highly controversial new land laws, the J&K Apni Party chooses to remain silent over the key residential and property rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Given it’s own agenda for pelf and power, the J&K Apni Party has lost the moral right to raise questions over PAGD’s participation in DDC elections as the party has doubled the trust deficit in few months created by the signatories of Gupkar declaration during several decades of popular rule in erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state. The J&K Apni Party because it’s huge failures on commitments over domicile law, new land laws, delimitation and statehood is much obliged to boycott DDC elections than the signatories of Peoples’ Alliance For Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).
The J&K Apni Party does not offer any resistance even to the controversial delimitation initiative already initiated by the central government and also the unprecedented delay in the fulfillment of the commitment on restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir by the central government. The J&K Apni Party did not dare to seek any explanation from the Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his latest denial to give any time frame for the restoration of statehood to Jammu & Kashmir. If Akali Dal can pull out from the ruling BJP led NDA alliance at the centre, why can’t J&K Apni Party embark on a public action plan against the central government over the issue of statehood . In fact J&K Apni Party has lost the trust and confidence of both the people of Jammu & Kashmir and as well the incumbent central government. The silence of the J&K Apni Party over residential and property rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and even the controversial delimitation initiative and the statehood restoration is sufficient enough to indicate party’s total surrender over citizenship and land rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir before the central government only pelf and power. In fact the decision of PAGD over participation in DDC elections put to huge risk the poll prospects of J&K Apni Party in upcoming DDC elections. Given it’s own agenda for pelf and power, the J&K Apni Party has lost the moral right to raise questions over PAGD’s participation in DDC elections as the party has doubled the trust deficit in few months created by the signatories of Gupkar declaration during several decades of popular rule in erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state. The J&K Apni Party because it’s huge failures on commitments over domicile law, new land laws, delimitation and statehood is much obliged to boycott DDC elections than the signatories of Peoples’ Alliance For Gupkar Declaration (PAGD).