Altaf Bukhari says BJP snatched Jammu’s glorious Dogra identity, business and tourism sector

“BJP never highlighted Jammu’s real issues, appeals people to boycott all traditional political parties”

“Residency Road Jammu and historic Raghunath Bazaar wear deserted look with no tourist; will restore Darbar Move within 24 hours if AP forms next Govt”                               – Atlaf Bukhari

JAMMU, JULY 16, 2022: Apni Party President Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari on Saturday was given rousing reception by thousands of people from different segments of society in Jammu City.

Altaf Bukhari was given an impressive welcome in a traditional manner by the people as well as the Party leaders and workers near Jewel Chowk, Gumat Bazaar, Vivekanand Chowk, Raghunath Bazaar Chowk, Residency Road, and Shaheedi Chowk when he was on his way with large number of Apni Party leaders and workers towards Shaheedi Chowk to address One Day Workers Convention.

The convention was attended by Apni Party Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, Vice President, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, Former Minister and Senior Leader, Dilawar Mir, Provincial President Jammu, Manjit Singh, Spokesperson, Sr Adv Nirmal Kotwal, Additional General Secretary, Arun Kumar Chibber, President Apni Trade Union, Ajaz Kazmi, ST Wing State President Saleem Alam, Provincial Secretary/ District President Jammu Urban, Dr Rohit Gupta, Trade Union Provincial President Jammu, Raj Sharma and others.

In his address, Altaf Bukhari thanked the people of Jammu for the rousing reception to him.

“I want to thank everyone for welcoming me to this historic city. While coming to Residency Road, I remembered the days when it was the heart of Jammu. However, they have broken it into pieces. We have seen our childhood in this Residency Road. But this Govt has worsened the condition of Residency Road which is very unfortunate. Unfortunately they claim that they represent the aspirations of Jammu and its people. HOwever, it does not seem they really represent Jammu in true sense. If you go out and see the condition of Historic City and popular Residency Road, you will find the truth,” he said.

Whether the Jammu people had given mandate to them to end the 100 years old Darbar Move or to end the business of Jammu?, said Bukhari in his address expressing serious concern over the plight of Jammu people with poor business, infrastructure, scattered garbage, poor drainage system and other basic amenities.

He criticized the BJP for misleading the people with emotional sloganeering while saying that “They have played with the emotions of people and destroyed the splendid Raghunath Bazaar; Jammu’s business and its tourism sector.”

He said that the direct train to Katra from other parts of the country has affected the business very badly and no effort was made to promote tourism destinations of Jammu.

He said that the BJP would claim that Jammu was facing discrimination due Art 370 and Art 35A and accordingly they abrogated the special status claiming that the discrimination would end to fulfill their 60 years old slogan.

“Have you witnessed any positive change after August 5, 2019 in Jammu? However, today you are witness to the situation which has turned bad to worse in Jammu City. Jammu has become backward and youth have come on the roads. At the time, when I am speaking here in the Convention, our youth Finance Department’s Account Assistants, aspirants of Sub Inspectors of J&K and daily wagers are protesting for their genuine demands.”

He said that “If someone was involved in leaking the Sub Inspector’s papers, why the entire list was cancelled. It is not justified.”

He again cornered BJP in its stronghold and questioned whether BJP did justice with the people of Jammu.

“No absolutely not. It has not done justice with the people of Jammu City, Jammu East and Jammu West. Had the people of Jammu given votes to BJP for this situation?” he asked.

He said that “The situation in J&K will improve if the traditional political parties like BJP, Congress Party, NC and PDP are rooted out of politics. We are responsible for the present situation as they exploited people on the name of regions, religion, caste, autonomy, self rule, Ek Nishan and Ek Vidhan and other slogans to mislead the people. There was no truth in their claims. We do not provoke people or involve people in any kind of controversy by giving them misleading slogans.”

He said that the Apni Party wants to keep people of both the Regions united and give them representation as per their wishes.

“The people of Jammu want development, protection of employment and their identity and the same is the demand of the people of Kashmir. The time has gone when traditional political parties would give slogans of self rule or autonomy. Such politicians are sitting in their homes. They have misled the people of J&K for the last 70 years. However, the Apni Party will fight back the divisive elements,” he added.

He said that for the last four years, BJP directly ruled J&K and the situation in Jammu has turned bad to worse in employment, development and other sectors. “No Kashmiri was involved in this Govt. Yet Jammu has suffered badly. BJP and Congress Party both were involved in creating division and mistrust among the people of two regions i.e., Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

He said that both these political parties were in the Govt for the last 70 years. However, they did not develop. Instead, they were involved in the transfer industry, he added.

Have you ever been concerned about upgrading the education system, poor infrastructure, and construction of school buildings? Do you know 90% Govt Girls Schools lack toilets? There is an issue of electricity. Despite a lot of issues in Jammu, you never raised these issues but BJP was always involved in transfers of SHO, Tehsildars and other Govt officials, he said.

He also said that the patients have to go outside J&K for specialized treatment to Amritsar, Punjab or Delhi and questioned BJP for failing to raise poor health care issues in Jammu.

He said that the BJP did nothing for Jammu. “What have they done for Jammu?” he added.

“Today they are saying that elections will be held in J&K. The constitution has given us equal rights like the people of Punjab, Delhi, Maharashtra and others statues are enjoying under the constitution of India,” he said and remembered the sacrifices being made by the people living on the border belt of Jammu as well as Kashmir areas from Kathua, Samba, R.S Pura, Akhnoor, Rajouri, Poonch, Karnah, Uri, Gurez and other areas. “We are special from the rest of the country’s states as we know the value of sacrifices and nationalism. The enemy’s bullets directly hit our chests yet we do not turn our backs and continue to defend our borders. Those sitting in Delhi, Bihar or Uttar Pradesh do not know the value of sacrifice yet they teach us nationalism. If you have to learn nationalism then learn it from the people of Jammu and Kashmir as we do not need to learn it from anyone else,” he said.

He said that “Our state was divided into three pieces, one was given to China, one was made the Union Territory of Ladakh and another was made the Union Territory of J&K. Jammu people should listen carefully that the BJP has exploited them emotionally but did nothing for them after getting mandate.

Therefore, the Apni Party should be given a chance and do justice with people of both the Regions.

He also condemned granting of domicile to the people who live for 15 years in Jammu and Kashmir and questioned “the Govt for not permitting permanent residents of J&K to continue to hold Permanent Resident Certificates (PRCs) which are our identity.”

He said that the BJP asked for the Chief Minister from Jammu. “This is the same BJP which came into power with PDP against which they had contested elections in Jammu and won the mandate of the people. They did nothing but scrapped the special status, Dogra identity, statehood and divided a historic State into Union Territories,” he said.

He said that Apni Party will do justice with the people of Jammu as well as Kashmir by providing employment opportunities in Govt and in industrial sector with protection to their jobs, protection of natural resources from outsiders, the outsiders involved in exploiting natural resources would be through out of Lakhanpur if Apni Party comes to Power.

He appealed to the Lt Governor to look into the genuine demands of the Border Battalion, CISF, BSF, Sub Inspectors, Finance Department’s Account Assistant’s and criticized cancelling the selection list of Sub Inspectors of J&K Police.

“The accused persons should have been punished. However, the Govt has punished even the innocent aspirants who worked hard for selections,” he said and asked the Govt to reconsider its decision.

He also said that Apni Party will provide 500 units of free electricity to Jammu during summers and 300 units of free electricity during winter season and 500 units free electricity during winters in Kashmir and 300 units free electricity in summer season in Kashmir.

He also said that the people would be provided 4 cylinders free of cost under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in a year, widow pension/old age pension would be enhanced up to Rs 5000, will upgrade the schools, health centres and adequate strength of staff will be deployed in all the places in J&K even in remote places for proper health and education system.

He also said that the 90% Govt Girls Schools lack toilets and if Apni Party comes to power, they will work to improve infrastructure at all levels without discrimination with any region, religion, caste, creed or anyone.

Prominent among those who were present in the one day convention include Bodh Raj Bhagat, Raman Thappa, Pushp Kumar Uppal, Madan Lal Chalotra, Khushboo Bhagat, Harpreet Sethi, Kulwant Singh, Rupali Rani, Nisha Sharma, Pavneet Kumar, Vikram Rathore, Sheikh Latief, Zulkharian Sheikh, Darshan Mehra, Raqeeq Ahmed Khan, Abhay Bakaya, Vipul Bali, Anuj Manhas, Vaibhav Mattoo, Sunny Kant Chib, Suhail Khajuria, Joginder Singh, Amjid Khan, Gourav Sharma, Ashraf Choudhary, Asif, Nikhal, Kulwant Singh, Sandeep Vaid, Ankush Dogra, Sunny Sambyal, Irshad Masoom, Nikhil, Om Singh, Abhinav, Manik, Surdesh Rana, Manjeet Singh, Vishal Jutshi, Amanat Ali Shah, Afaq Kazami, Sanjay Lalotra, Vijay Manotra, Shakti Dev, Raja Bibi, Manjeet, Anil, Vikas, Dharam Singh Sawhney, Akashy, Dev Raj, Manav, Nikhal Sourav, Shakuntala, Rajini, Neelam, Mamta and others.