We are not gullible, no allurement for joining hands with Bukhari, says Shoaib Nabi Lone

Former Congress legislature Shoaib Nabi Lone on Saturday said there is no allurement behind joining hands with former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari and it is for raising voice of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Altaf Bukhari is not in power or in any position in the establishment that he will use the state machinery or any other tool to pressurize the Congress leaders who have willingly decided to strengthen his resolve," said a statement from Lone.

"I and some of my colleagues in Congress party have decided to call a spade a spade. Besides that, we are not any gullible lot that somebody will show us lollipops or extend any other offers for which we will barter our conscience," it added.

Lone said that his and Bukhari's efforts are to alleviate the suffering caused to the people of Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019.

He said that it is very unfortunate that Ghulam Nabi Azad has "brandished his colleagues in the Congress as politically naive and incapacitated to take any decision that aims at addressing the miseries of their people".

"We were neither offered any facilities nor have we done anything wrong that we will be threatened of implication in fabricated cases. It is our conscious decision to work together for safeguarding the socio-economic and political interests of our people," he said.

Bukhari and some other leaders had earlier this month submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu that included demands for release of political detainees, withdrawal of cases against youth and restoration of statehood.

( With inputs from ANI )