Dynastic politics has damaged public interests to their core: Altaf Bukhari

Uri: Taking a dig at traditional political parties, particularly those rooted in dynastic legacies, Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said on Wednesday that “these parties and their leaders have always misled the people through deceptive political maneuvers.” He emphasized that “political families have always believed they were entitled to rule, treating the common populace as their subjects within Jammu and Kashmir”. He expressed pride in not belonging to any political family and thus not being involved in deceiving his own people.
According to a statement issued from Party Headquarters here, Mr. Bukhari made these remarks during an event in north Kashmir’s Uri, wherein a number of respectable citizens and notable young activists joined the party in the distinguished presence of the party’s president.
Speaking at the event, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari underscored how dynasties have harmed the interests of the people of J&K through their deceptive politics. He said, “As the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we have suffered hugely over the past seven decades because our leaders kept us busy with their deceptive political narratives and never told us the truth. Even Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, the tallest leader of his times, used to change his stances time and again and did not tell the people the truth, despite being privy to the truth, as suggested by his famous Lal Chowk speech; he refrained from openly acknowledging it.”
He emphasized the need for transparent and genuine political discourse and said, “The truth is that J&K was destined to be a part of India in 1947, and we should have stuck to this reality. However, unfortunately, our leaders chose to manipulate the emotions of innocent people in their rallies by often resorting to symbolic gestures like displaying rock salt and green fabric to represent our neighboring nation.”
While expressing his goodwill towards the neighboring country, he asserted, “I hold sincere respect for our neighboring nation. However, my firm conviction is that the key to a dignified and prosperous life for the people of Jammu and Kashmir lies within our own nation’s boundaries and not elsewhere.”