AAP reaches Kashmir

To open Office in Srinagar next month

Srinagar, Feb 17: Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party is all set to open its office in uptown here in March this year, sources told Precious Kashmir on Monday.

They said the party high command has agreed to start its office in Srinagar and a young political and RTI activist who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party last year in a jiffy is tipped off to be the party convener for J&K.

Sources said party’s senior leader Prashant Bhushan recently conducted interview of various contestants in AAP’s office in New Delhi. “The party has shortlisted a few candidates from Kashmir and their names would be announced soon,” they said.

“The AAP is very concerned and choosy about the selection of the candidates in the state given its image about it being a brand against corruption. More than hundreds aspirants from varied backgrounds contacted us for their role in AAP in the J&K but we have clandestinely conducted a background check off their past activities.”

Sources also revealed that newly formed Awami Itihad Party (AIP) led by Engineer Rashid in Jammu and Kashmir may enter into a pre-poll alliance with the Aam Admi Party.

Sources in AIP said that the party would take a call over the issue after the ongoing Assembly session would be over.

Meanwhile, when Precious Kashmir contacted the RTI activist and former PDP leader to seek his comments about the development he said, “I don’t know anything about the proposed launch of their office in Srinagar. It is premature to take a call on joining AAP. It is true that AAP approached me.”

Pertinently, senior AAP leader Prashant Bhushan had struck the hornet’s nest earlier this year by saying that a referendum should be carried out in Kashmir on whether or not the Indian Army should be deployed in the Valley to deal with the security situation there.

After being cornered by the opposition parties in India and Hindutiva groups, AAP founder and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was then compelled to react on Bhushan’s Statement. “We don’t agree with Prashant Bhushan. It’s his personal view. Deployment of the Army within the country should be decided on the basis of internal security threat. There is no question of a referendum. But sentiments of locals should be respected,” Kejriwal had said.