Srinagar, March 8 (KNS): Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday urged CM Omar Abdullah to use his authority to extend the eligibility criteria for domicile rights from 15 years to a 50-year residency requirement.
Addressing directly to CM Abdullah, Mr Bukhari said, “You are also holding the revenue portfolio. Change the domicile rules to protect the rights of J&K’s indigenous residents. Make 50 years of residency in J&K a condition for domicile eligibility. This is in your hands. At the very least, you should do it.”
Apni Party president made this demand to the chief minister today while addressing a jam-packed workers' convention on the lawns of the party headquarters in Srinagar. This convention was called to celebrate the party’s sixth foundation day. A similar function was held at the Jammu office, where the party’s Senior Vice President, Ghulam Hassan Mir, presided over the gathering.
In his speech, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “Apni Party was established after August 5, 2019, when J&K’s rights, including its special powers, were revoked. After founding the party on March 8, 2020, we went to New Delhi to meet with Union Government leaders. At that time, J&K’s land and jobs were open to being taken by outsiders, and we aimed to protect both for the residents of J&K, ensuring their exclusive rights to land and employment in the region.”
He went on to say, “We successfully convinced the leaders in Delhi and secured the protection of land and jobs for the people of J&K. Additionally, we ensured the release of 3,100 detainees, including some political leaders. At that time, we also urged the Union Government to extend the 15-year residency requirement for domicile rights in J&K. However, we were told that this decision should be left to the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir.”
“Now, that we have an elected government in place, that is why I urge Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to amend the domicile rules by extending the residency requirement from 15 years to 50 years. Changing the domicile rules is completely in the CM's domain,” Mr Bukhari added.
Talking about core agenda and policies of Apni Party and its leadership, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “We formed this party to stand with the people during those challenging times (post-August 5, 2019). We aimed to strive for the protection of the rights of J&K and its people. Also, we wanted to speak the truth to the people, knowing they had long been misled by politicians. Moreover, we sought to ensure the political empowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We do not belong to political families; we come from the masses because we are ordinary people, not from the dynasties. We want to serve the people without caring about any political gains.”
“Today, on the sixth foundation day of this party, I reaffirm that we will continue to pursue our agenda and policies, no matter what,” he assured.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Talking about the assembly elections, and its outcome, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “People did not vote for us, and we respected their decision, knowing that, in a democracy, they have the right to choose their representatives. However, given the government's poor performance and the ruling party’s repeated U-turns on its electoral promises, we can see that people are beginning to realise that they were misled during the election campaign. A defamatory campaign was waged against Apni Party to tarnish its image, falsely labelling us as affiliated with the BJP. Ironically, the same ruling party leaders now leave no opportunity to allure BJP leaders here and in New Delhi.”
He added, “I have no regrets about the electoral results; however, I feel sorry knowing that if we had received the public mandate, we could have at least ensured the release of the detainees, as we had promised. It is painful to see that no one—neither the ruling party nor any opposition member—talks about the release of the detainees. I request these public representatives to at least pass a resolution in the assembly demanding the release of the prisoners.”
Emphasizing the need for lasting peace and stability for J&K’s brighter future, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari stated that some politicians are hell-bent on misleading the people and trying to create an environment of turmoil in the region solely for their own political gains.
Without directly naming PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, the Apni Party president remarked, ‘A leader of a political party boasts that Kashmiris will fight for another hundred years. I fail to understand how long these leaders want the bloodshed to continue and how many graveyards they want to fill by burying our youngsters.”
He said, “Jammu and Kashmir requires permanent peace and lasting stability to pave the way for prosperity, development, and the political and economic empowerment of its people.”
The occasion was also addressed by the party’s General Secretary, Rafi Ahmad Mir; Provincial President, Mohammad Ashraf Mir; Additional General Secretary, Hilal Ahmad Shah; Chief Spokesperson, Muntazir Mohiuddin; Senior Leader and former Legislator, Yawar Mir; Senior Leader, Jagmohan Singh Raina; District President Kupwara Raja Manzoor; and others.
Besides these leaders, other prominent figures present on the occasion included Media Advisor Farooq Andrabi; Chairman DDC Srinagar and Provincial Secretary Aftab Malik; President of the Women’s Wing, Dilshad Shaheen; Spokesperson and Working President of the Youth Wing, Khalid Rathore; as well as all district presidents, constituency heads, and others.(KNS)