Remember, 1987 Congress-NC alliance was ‘bloody one’, hope it’s not same again: Altaf Bukhari

Diplomat Correspondent
Srinagar, Sep 10: Jammu and Kashmir’s Apni Party president Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari Tuesday said that everybody in Kashmir remembers that in 1987, National Conference-Congress coalition led to a bloody start in the Valley and that he was hopeful it won’t turn the same again.
“We allow know what happened in 1987 when NC entered into an alliance with Congress. Both the parties have a bloody history in J&K. I hope it doesn’t turn the same again,” Bukhari said.
Bukhari visited Baghe-e-Mehtab area of Chanapora constituency for the first time as a candidate in fray. “This area is neglected and claims of a smart city fall flat here. There is a colony which seems neglected for the past so many years. If voted to power, I will ensure that the face of this colony will be changed by next year May-June,” Bukhari said.
On PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s assertions that Awami Itehad Party (AIP) of Jailed Member Parliament Engineer Rashid was the BJP’s proxy, Bukhari said in that case he would like to ask Mehbooba why AIP hasn’t fielded any candidate from Bijbehara where her daughter Iltija Mufti is contesting.
“I was wondering as to why BJP’s key leader Ram Madhav was called back to Kashmir. It seems that he was brought in to revive old connections with PDP and to get disgruntled leaders back to the party fold,” Bukhari said.
On former Congress president Vikar Rasool’s recent tirade against the National Conference, Bukhari said that clean hearted persons like Vikar have to speak truth. “Even I saw NC MP Mian Altaf stating that they shouldn’t have entered into alliance with Congress,” he said– (TDD)