Ghulam Nabi Azad voted in favour of Article 370 dilution, says Apni Party Chief

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari on Friday accused former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad of hypocrisy. According to Bukhari, Azad may have spoken in defence of Article 370 in Parliament in 2019 but voted in favour of its dilution.

“Azad Sahib may have made a fiery speech in Parliament in defence of Article 370 and even tore a button or two of his shirt and even abused at a level allowed in Parliament but let me tell you the truth. He voted in favour of BJP for abrogation of Article 370,” said Bukhari here in Srinagar. “If telling the truth is a crime, I have done it by saying who Azad Sahib voted for in Parliament," said Bukhari.

Bukhari said his party managed to secure jobs and land for the people of the Union Territory and now they are striving to restore statehood of the region.

"Our delegation will meet the J&K Lieutenant Governor soon and formally demand restoration of statehood. We will also present this demand before the magistrates in districts across the UT," said Bukhari. “If they say that they will restore statehood after assembly elections then why can't they do it now.”

The former minister, who launched Apni Party in March 2020, said several youngsters continue to remain under preventive detentions. “We demand that the administration should release youngsters as soon as possible,” said Bukhari.