Speculation rife over creation of Altaf Bukhari-led advisory council in J&K

SRINAGAR:: Speculations are rife in Jammu and Kashmir about the Centre mulling to set up an advisory council led by Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari in early June as an alternative political front in the Union territory.

The party leaders said the matter was discussed in a March meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah to test political waters before Covid-19 pandemic struck, however, it was not clear if the plan would take shape.

Apni Party’s top leaders, including Bukhari, have maintained silence on the likelihood of a new advisory council, but other leaders of the party who attended the meeting in New Delhi said the prospects of an interim government were discussed at the time.

Political activities came to standstill after the lockdown was enforced across the country, including J&K, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A senior Apni Party leader and former legislator, who was part of the delegation that met the PM and home minister, said the prospects of setting up an interim government in J&K before the elections were discussed in those meetings. “This could be as an option for the central leadership, but council members going to taking oath in the first week of June is only a rumour,” the former PDP leader said.

Stating that the Centre feels bureaucrats have miserably failed in J&K, the Apni Party leader said, “J&K is in a political vacuum and many leaders in New Delhi think a new leadership could act as buffer between them and the UT.”

Another former legislator who resigned from Congress and joined the Altaf Bukhari-led Apni Party said the interim setup was discussed between Apni Party leadership and New Delhi. “It’s not clear whether the proposal has been cleared by the Centre as all focus is on fighting Covid-19 right now.” However, stating that speculations turn out to be true many times, the former MLA said, “Under the UT model of Pondicherry, President of India has the power to appoint a council which can function in the Union territory. It can be a case for J&K as well.”

BJP state spokesperson Altaf Thakur termed this as a mere rumour spread by politicians. “There is no provision in the Constitution which allows for setting up of any advisory council in the UT,” he said adding that those who are being tipped to be part of the new “advisory council” have themselves denied it.