J&K’s Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari, on Saturday, said that Kashmir’s future lies with India and those speaking of restoring Article 370 are misleading the people.
Bukhari was addressing a large rally of his party in Srinagar to display his political strength.
He said nothing has been achieved through the nearly 32 years of violence in Kashmir except burying more than two lakh Kashmiris.
Bukhari made an appeal to the people to support him to start a “new politics” which has no place for violence and discrimination.
Referring to the current status of Article 370, Bukhari said that on 5 August 2019, the Centre abrogated the special status granted to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and split it into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. It also abrogated Article 35A which allowed the state to define its permanent residents.
“We cannot restore Articles 370 and 35A on our own. The issue is in the Supreme Court and I promise you we will hire the best lawyers of the country to fight for their restoration even if we have to spend crores of rupees,” Bukhari told the gathering.
“Our state, as it existed on 5 August 2019 (before the Centre’s decision), should be restored. This is what the people want. They want me to take this up with the prime minister and the home minister,” he said.
He asked people not to fall in the trap of those politicians who were saying that they would get the Article 370 restored.
Bukhari further said the JKAP will constitute a team that will visit various jails in Jammu and Kashmir and outside to collect details about Kashmiri youths languishing there and the cases against them. we will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah and seek the release of these youths.
“We want an opportunity for them to start their lives afresh,” he said.