Srinagar: Apni Party President, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, on Thursday, said that the leaders of both the NC and the PDP desire to continue their family rule in Jammu and Kashmir. However, he expressed hope that the people will not allow the Abdullahs and Muftis to exploit them any longer. He made these remarks while addressing a public rally in south Kashmir’s Shopian.
Addressing the rally Bukhari said, “Over the decades, the traditional parties, especially the two family-based parties, have divided Jammu and Kashmir like Rajwadas to rule the people. Both the family parties, NC and PDP, were in consensus to stay at the helm of affairs alternatively. But things have now changed. They can no longer fool people through their deceptive narratives and fake promises. I am sure that their era has ended, and people will reject both political dynasties through the power of their vote.”
Urging people not to fall prey to the deceptive slogans and fake promises by the NC and PDP, the Apni Party president said, “They are trying to allure you again through deceptive promises. Earlier, they used to take your votes, promising to ensure things like ‘Raishumari,’ ‘Autonomy,’ and ‘Self-rule.’ Now, since these promises are things of the past and Article 370 has been abrogated, they are trying to convince you that they will restore the abrogated Article. They have been misleading you for years, even decades. Tell them that ‘enough is enough.’ Reject them through the power of your vote.” Bukhari promised people that the Apni Party if given the mandate to serve, would take Jammu and Kashmir to new heights of peace, prosperity, and development. He said, “We do not raise any misleading political slogans, nor do we promise you the moon and stars. Our primary agenda is to ensure permanent peace, enduring prosperity, and equitable development across Jammu and Kashmir. To achieve this, we have a clear-cut vision and roadmap for the development of every area in Jammu and Kashmir.”Speaking specifically about Shopian, Bukhari promised that Apni Party, once given a public mandate to serve, will transform Shopian into a modern city.
He said, “I have a clear vision for the development of this beautiful place. Apni Party’s government will not waste a single day in speeding up the completion of the Mughal Road tunnel. This tunnel will not only improve Shopian’s connectivity, making it easier to transport fruit to outside markets, but it will also shorten the distance between sub-regions and establish these roads as all-weather roads. Furthermore, we will build tourism infrastructure here to create employment opportunities for local youth. We will also ensure that daily wagers in various government departments are regularised.” He added, “I know that orchardists here are unable to afford refrigerated vehicles to ferry the fruit to outside markets, thus facing losses as the perishable fruit sometimes gets spoiled during transportation. Apni Party’s government will ensure a 50 percent subsidy in the fare charges of refrigerated vehicles. Also, I promise you that our government will ensure the waiver of the due interest amount on the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to provide relief to the people.” Apni Party’s President reiterated the party’s intention to provide 500 units of free electricity to domestic consumers across Jammu and Kashmir. He also stated that his government would provide relief to people living below the poverty line by addressing their outstanding electricity bills. Bukhari promised that his government would ensure the return of jailed youth to their homes, allowing them to resume their normal lives with their families.