Onlykashmir.in News Desk
National Conference Member of Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday questioned Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari’s recent concerns over the alleged purchase of land in Jammu and Kashmir by outsiders, asking why the issue was not raised when Bukhari visited New Delhi following the abrogation of the region’s special status.
“Why didn’t he remember this when he went to New Delhi after the abrogation of special status and compromised on this?” Ruhullah told reporters.
The Srinagar MP said concerns over land, employment and demographic change had been voiced by people immediately after the constitutional changes of 2019. The apprehension at the time, he said, was that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including Muslims and Dogras, could face a loss of identity and greater competition over land and jobs.
“We were telling that after the abrogation people of Jammu and Kashmir, whether Muslims or Dogras, will lose identity. There will be deal and occupation of our land, jobs, there will be demographic change, and that’s why we are fighting and demanding restoration of Article 370,” he said.
His remarks came in response to Bukhari’s recent statements questioning the alleged purchase of land in the Union Territory by individuals or entities from outside. Ruhullah sought to link the present debate over land ownership with the wider political dispute over the abrogation of Article 370, arguing that the concerns being raised today were among those cited by opponents of the constitutional changes.
The exchange draws on a debate that has run through Kashmir’s politics since August 2019, when the special status was withdrawn. Bukhari, a former minister who launched the Apni Party in March 2020, has described his organisation as a regional party with a national outlook, while Ruhullah said his side continues to demand the restoration of Article 370. Questions of land, jobs and identity have remained at the centre of that contest, and each camp has sought to claim the stronger record on them.
Taking strong exception to what he described as a change in position by political leaders on the issue, Ruhullah said those he accused of compromising on the interests of Jammu and Kashmir would be judged by history. “History will never forget these traitors,” he said.
The remarks add to the sharp political debate over the legacy of the 2019 changes and the future of land and employment protections in the Union Territory.
