Budgam, Nov 05: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday accused the Mufti family of “causing more harm” than the Sheikh family in Jammu and Kashmir. He appealed to people to choose their leader beyond these families.
Addressing a gathering here, Bukhari targeted the former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti. “She (Mehbooba) has lost the power and is in search of it. She will never get the power again until the party gets new leadership,” he said. “This (Mufti) family has caused more harm than the Sheikh family here.”
He asked, “Are we supposed to remain dependent on families. The people must think beyond these parties.” Bukhari said his son and family are not associated with politics. “I am a common man like you,” he said.
Reacting to the slogans by the PDP candidate without naming him during the speech, the Apni Party chief said it is shameful that the person calling himself a religious leader has linked the pious ‘Kalima’ with “something which even non-Muslim can’t do”.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Bukhari welcomed the government’s decision to begin the process of converting the Rajbagh footbridge over the River Jhelum (near the Silk Factory) into a motorable bridge.
He said that the earlier decision to alter the nature of the project was “foolish, short-sighted, and ill-advised”, which reflected a lack of understanding of administrative priorities and public interest on the part of the then chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti.
“It should be investigated why this project, conceived as a motorable bridge, was later altered and converted into merely a footbridge, despite expert opinion favouring its construction as a motorable bridge, although a substantial amount of Rs 12 crore had already been spent to initiate the project in that form,” the former minister said. “It should be investigated who benefited from altering this project.”
Bukhari said the bridge was originally conceived as a motorable structure to help decongest traffic in and around the city centre. “I vividly recall how, as the concerned minister and MLA representing the area, I had convinced the then Chief Minister, Mufti (Sayeed) Sahib, to approve its construction for that very purpose. The foundation work was accordingly undertaken with that objective,” he said. “Sadly, that vision was derailed. His daughter, Mehbooba Mufti, during her tenure as chief minister, unfortunately altered the nature of the project, converting it into a mere footbridge just to favour some of her acquaintances.”
“Displaying her Nadirshahi behaviour, she (Mehbooba) unilaterally decided to downgrade the project, leaving the public disheartened and the area’s traffic woes unresolved,” the statement said.
Welcoming the present government’s decision, the Apni Party president said, “I sincerely appreciate the present government’s decision to rectify that misstep and restore the bridge to its original purpose — a fully functional motorable link. This long-awaited development will not only ease traffic congestion but will also fulfil a long-cherished aspiration of the people.”—(KNO)
