Jammu, Jul 18: Altaf Bukhari, the president of Apni Party, has reiterated that his political group remains neutral, neither aligning with the BJP nor the opposition. He emphasized that Apni Party’s commitment lies with New Delhi and the best interests of Jammu and Kashmir, a border region that cannot afford to be disconnected from the Union government.
In a video interview, Bukhari expressed his party’s stance, stating, “We are with New Delhi. We are neither with BJP nor with the opposition. We are neither with those parties who have gone to Bengaluru nor with the other (BJP-led NDA). As far as the Apni Party is concerned, we stand with Delhi. Tomorrow, you can also presume that we can be with the party that rules in Delhi. However, there is the least possibility of that party (Congress coming to power at the Centre).”
He further clarified that Apni Party will support whoever is in power at the Centre, asserting, “Anybody who sits in New Delhi tomorrow, we are with him. Jammu and Kashmir is a border region and it cannot afford to take cudgels with the Centre.”
Addressing the opposition parties’ efforts to form a grand coalition ahead of the 202 Assembly election, Bukhari welcomed it, stating, “It is good for democracy. India’s strength is in its democracy and it is good for democracy.”
Regarding the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Bukhari commended both the people and the security forces for achieving a level of normalcy comparable to any other state in the country. He highlighted the irreversible progress made in the region and the people’s collective desire for peace since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
However, Bukhari criticized the BJP’s governance of the Union Territory, terming it as “indirect governance” and urged for the holding of Assembly elections instead of just panchayat elections.
On the restoration of the political system in Jammu and Kashmir, he expressed confidence in bringing about significant change and assured that the Apni Party would be a major stakeholder in this transformation. He emphasized the need for an extensive authority of the state and voiced opposition to the administration’s decision to grant five malra of land to the poor and landless people of the Union territory. According to Bukhari, such allocations should have been made in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar to prevent adverse implications of outsiders acquiring land in the region.
