After Maharaja’s era in J&K, politicians enforced their own autocracy: Bukhari
Apni Party president, Syed Mohd Altaf Bukhari today said that traditional political parties and their leaders established their own autocracy in Jammu and Kashmir following the end of the Maharaja’s rule in 1947.
He made these remarks while addressing an event at the party headquarters in Srinagar today. The event was organized to welcome the new entrants from north Kashmir’s Pattan and Wagoora constituencies. A significant number of political leaders and activists from various political parties joined Apni Party on this occasion. Bukhari, accompanied by other party leaders, extended a warm welcome to the new entrants.
“Ours is the only party that does not belong to any political family. This is the party of the masses. I urge the youngsters to join hands with us in shaping the future of Jammu and Kashmir. Together, we can change the political and economic scenario in Jammu and Kashmir for the better,” Bukhari said.
He urged the LG Administration to release the detained youth to provide them a chance to start peaceful lives with their families. He reiterated his demand, urging the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and hold Assembly, Panchayat and ULB polls without any further delay.
Taking a dig at the traditional political parties and their leaders, Apni Party president said, “Our older generations fought against the autocracy of the Dogra regime pre-1947. Unfortunately, the leaders they trusted began their own autocracy and family rule here post-47. To establish their grip on power over the past seventy years, these parties and their leaders even misled people with fake slogans like ‘Raishumari,’ ‘Autonomy,’ ‘Self-rule,’ and so on. They kept innocent people occupied with these slogans for their own political advantage,” Bukhari asserted.
“Even these leaders lied to people about the so-called special status of Jammu and Kashmir. In reality, no such special status had ever existed in J&K over the past seven decades. They made us believe that Article 370 could not be revoked and claimed that the accession with India would automatically end if Article 370 was removed. Now, a clearer picture has emerged. Today, it is evident that all these slogans were hollow,” Bukhari said.
Senior party leaders Ghulam Hassan Mir, Usman Majid, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Mohd Ashraf Mir, Farooq Andrabi, Aftab Malik, Fazal Beigh and Dilshada Shaheen were also present on the occasion.
