After elections, officers leading demolition drives will have to answer: Altaf Bukhari

SRINAGAR — Apni Party President Syed Muhammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday said that every officer involved in demolition drives will have to answer once elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We will make them (officers) accountable. They have to answer. Their bossism won’t work then,” Bukari said in response to a question about the ongoing eviction and demolition drive.

He said he supports all and every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir irrespective of their religion, case or colour. “We don’t believe in regionalism and discriminating people on the basis of religion. For me, everyone is equal. It is the administration that divides the people on regional and religious basis as it reaps fruits,” he said, adding that for him, a man losing his hut or a man losing his showroom are equal and he feels their pain.

In response to a question, Bukhari said that it is natural to get sentimental once you lose your home or shop. “Administration should think about it. Officers have their homes also and they should feel the pain when people react to their demotion drive,” he said.

Altaf Bukhari said that all are minnows in Kashmir and there is no big fish. “Administration tries to present minnows as big fish. I ask the administration to stop this drama,” he said, adding that once there will be elections, officers will be questioned from day one.