Srinagar- The Apni Party on Wednesday released its manifesto for the assembly elections, promising to press the Centre for constitutional guarantees to preserve culture and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, and to work for the restoration of statehood of the Union territory.
“The Apni Party will press for constitutional guarantees to preserve the culture and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, similar to the provisions of Article 371 in some north-eastern states. This includes land and job protection, addressing the people’s sense of loss,” the manifesto read.
It also promised the annulment of existing central laws that were extended to J&K following the abrogation of Article 370.
“The Apni Party will revisit and restore all the laws that were withdrawn or amended over time. Our party will secure constitutional guarantees for the protection of land and job security for local youth,” the manifesto said.
The party also said that they will work to restore the powers of the Cabinet and Chief Minister, recently transferred to the Lieutenant Governor.
Founded by the businessman turned politician, Syed Altaf Bukhari in 2020, the Apni Party also promised to drop charges under general amnesty against the youth who were arrested under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in J&K, if the party was elected to power.
Following the release of the poll manifesto, the party general secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir addressed a news conference at party head office here; asserting the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) openly stripped J&K of its special status, unlike the Congress, which gradually undermined J&K with the support of regional parties.
Criticizing the National Conference poll plank, promising to pass a resolution in the assembly in its first list of business after elections against the center’s August 5, 2019 decision, Mir said the party had in the past also passed a resolution back in 1996 that was rejected by the Parliament.
“What might they achieve now that they were unable to achieve in the past? When DDC and BDC elections were announced in J&K in 2020, they promised to restore Article 370 and statehood, but nothing of the sort was seen happening on the ground,” Mir added.
The Apni Party, Mir claimed, was formed with sole purpose of addressing developmental issues, employment, youth empowerment and day to day issues of the people including Roti, Kapda, Makan, Bijli, Pani and Sadak and the party despite its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections, remains resolute in its resolve.
“We founded this party to bring our programs before the public. Now it’s for the people of J&K to decide how successful our effort was. We did not perform well in the Lok Sabha elections for a number of factors that the party also tried to explore,” he added.
Besides fighting for the restoration of the statehood to J&K, Mir said, the party would also strive for the existing laws that were extended to the former state to be annulled.
“The public and political leaders alike will never forget the smack they received when Article 370 was repealed. We regret and think the trauma we experienced may never end. However, our manifesto calls for the restoration of the laws that were overturned, and we pledge to defend our rights without engaging in hostilities,” the Apni Party leader said, adding, the parties that were instrumental in damaging J&K’s distinctive character are now claiming they would put things right, which is ‘impossible’.
The people of J&K, he said, have been feeling disempowered after the abrogation of Article 370, and that the society is in bad condition with youth consuming drugs and indulging in wrongdoings.
“A large number of youth have been arrested under PSA since 2016; they were released but rearrested later. We would announce a general amnesty for those who are facing minor charges and ensure the youth languishing in outside state jails are brought back to J&K. Also the youth having FIRs registered against them with minor charges are pardoned under this policy,” he added.
Dignified return of Kashmiri Pandit’s to their homeland, the Apni Party leader, said, will be prioritized and opinions of those wishing to return are solicited so they can live a peaceful life with their Kashmiri brethren.
“We will consult with their representatives to facilitate their return. An apex committee, chaired by the chief minister and comprising representatives of all registered Kashmiri Pandit organisations, will be constituted. This committee will meet every six months to address migrant issues. The revenue minister will serve as the convener,” the manifesto added.
He also said the party will restore the old pension scheme in J&K for the retired government employees so they do not face any inconvenience. Land and employment protection laws will also be incorporated in the legislature so the two major issues are addressed constitutionally rather than provisionally.
The Apni Party has also proposed a solution to address the issue of cultural invasion, which Mir claimed, is yet another major cause of concern for the people of J&K.
Besides, efforts will be made to restore the Member Legislative Council’s (MLC) role as the lawmaker in, as legislature to this effect was also revoked on August 5, 2019.“We will also ensure the youth against whom cases with minor charges are registered in different police stations, and they are often called to the police stations for questioning and detained for days especially on the special occasions like Independence Day and Republic Day are pardoned under general amnesty,” he said.
He said that if the Apni Party is elected to power, it would also remove the stringent regulations that are put in place following the commencement of Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir.
It also promised to provide 500 units of free power per month per household in Kashmir during winter (October to March) and in Jammu during summer (April to September).
The Apni Party will provide four free LPG cylinder refills annually to every BPL and AAY family, it also added.
List Of 8 Candidates
Apni Party released its first list of eight candidates for the upcoming assembly elections in the union territory, according to a party spokesperson.
The list was recommended by Mohammad Dilawar Mir, chairman of the party’s parliamentary affairs committee, and was approved by party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Apni Party released its manifesto for the assembly elections, promising to press the Centre for constitutional guarantees to preserve culture and special identity of Jammu and Kashmir, and to work for the restoration of statehood of the Union territory.
The manifesto was released at a press conference here by the party’s general secretary Rafi Mir, who will contest from Pahalgam constituency, along with other senior leaders.
Other nominees fielded by the party for the Lok Sabha polls include Hilal Ahmad Shah who will try his luck from Anatnag, Tariq Shah Veeri from Bijbehara, and Abdul Majeed Padder from D H Pora, the spokesperson said.
Party leader Riyaz Ahmad Bhat will contest from Devsar, Gowher Hassan Wani from Zainapora, Mir Altaf from Pampore, and Owais Khan from Shopian, he added.
All these seats are from south Kashmir which is going to polls in the first phase of the three-phased elections on September 18.
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