Apni Party Urges Govt to Declare July 13 as Gazetted Holiday

SRINAGAR: Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Monday urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to declare July 13 a gazetted holiday in remembrance of the 1931 martyrs and to observe Martyrs’ Day at the state level, as was the practice in the past.

Addressing a workers’ convention in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, Bukhari said the sacrifices made in 1931 must be officially recognised through state-level commemorations. He criticised the current administration, saying it had failed to deliver even one percent of its promises within eight months in power.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Bukhari accused the ruling party of misleading the public with unfulfilled promises. “They said 200 units of free electricity would be provided to every household, but the benefit was limited to the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) category, which covers less than one percent of the population. Even that has not been implemented,” he said.

He further said that the government had made commitments to increase ration quotas, generate one lakh jobs within three months, and restore Articles 370 and 35A—none of which have materialised. “There is no visible effort being made to even pursue the restoration of statehood,” he added.

When asked about speculation surrounding the impact of potential statehood restoration on the current Union Territory elections, Bukhari responded, “This government is at risk because of non-performance, not because of legal or constitutional developments. It holds a strong mandate for a full term, but it is failing the people.”

Reiterating his long-standing demand, Bukhari called for the release of detainees, excluding those involved in serious offences. “Those who were involved in stone-pelting were misled by certain political leaders. They too deserve a chance to return to normal life,” he said.

During the convention, Bukhari also called on voters to hold their elected representatives accountable. “It is your right to question the MLAs you have voted for,” he told the gathering.

Former Legislator and General Secretary of the Apni Party, Rafi Ahmad Mir, also addressed the gathering. He reflected on the political vacuum post-August 2019 and said the Apni Party was formed in March 2020 to safeguard the rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “We took a stand to ensure that residents retained exclusive rights over agricultural land and local employment,” he said.

Apni Party’s Provincial President Mohammad Ashraf Mir expressed concern over the issue of prisoners, saying neither the government nor the opposition was raising it. “This matter is being ignored. I have not heard a single legislator mention detainees in the assembly,” he said. He also highlighted the growing unemployment, which he described as a critical issue facing the youth.

The other prominent leaders who addressed the convention or who were present on this occasion included President of the party’s Youth Wing Yawar Dilawar Mir, District President Pulwama Dr Samiullah, MIr Altaf Sahib, DDC Mema Jee, Mohammad Younis Massodi, Manzoor Ahmad Sahib, Mohammad Rakeeq Naik, Mehraj Din, Abdul Satar, Imtiyaz Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmad, and others