Mehbooba’s apology ends controversy: Altaf Bukhari

Srinagar, Jul 29: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday said the controversy surrounding PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s recent remarks should now be considered over, asserting that her apology had brought the matter to a close.
Talking to reporters, Bukhari said, “She has apologized, and the chapter ends. To err is human.”
Responding to the PDP’s proposed protest on August 5, Bukhari said every political party has its own ideology and programme, but maintained that August 5 is “not a day of celebration but a black day” for Jammu and Kashmir.
He, however, said protests alone would not achieve the restoration of Article 370 and stressed the need for a well-defined political roadmap to pursue the objective.
“There should be a roadmap, not merely protests, to bring back Article 370,” he said.
Launching a political attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bukhari alleged that the party follows an anti-Muslim policy and has built its electoral strategy around it.
He further claimed that the BJP has created a separate political narrative in the Jammu region, which, according to him, has helped the party secure votes there.
The Apni Party chief made the remarks while interacting with reporters in Srinagar. [KNT]