J-K Apni Party holds its first rally in Jammu region

The newly floated Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party held its first rally in the Jammu division on Thursday and raised its voice against highway toll plazas and the lack of development in areas having sizeable Scheduled Caste population.

The newly floated Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party held its first rally in the Jammu division on Thursday and raised its voice against highway toll plazas and the lack of development in areas having sizeable Scheduled Caste population. Addressing the rally in Kathua, party general secretary Vijay Bakaya said the Apni Party had gone from strength to strength since its formation in March this year.

He hoped that those present in the rally would spread the message of the party that "it will shun divisive politics and emotional slogans" and take Jammu and Kashmir on the road to development and would remain close to the people at all times. Bakaya emphasised that the Apni Party, led by its president Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari, had come into being at a time when there was a political vacuum in Jammu and Kashmir.

Apni Party provincial president and former minister Manjit Singh said, "We will not mislead the people with emotional sloganeering. Our motive is to promote brotherhood and unity among the people." Claiming lack of development in areas having sizeable Scheduled Caste population, he said that the party stands for equal development and employment opportunities. Singh said that there was a strong resentment against toll plazas on the Jammu-Pathankot highway in Kathua and Samba districts and the government should look into the grievances of locals.

Singh appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally look into the issue. The meeting was organised by Nagesh Kumar and Sachin Bhardwaj, a party spokesman said.