Jammu and Kashmir: Peoples Democratic Party today protested against the LG administration of J&K. The protest was organized at Sher Kashmir Park, the Srinagar office of the PDP. The party members were demanding the withdrawal of the government order regarding the return of government land occupied by people in the union territory. PDP youth general secretary Mohit Bhan was leading the protest demanding the government to withdraw the order. “The government’s directive is against the poor people of J&K who will be rendered homeless if this order is implemented on the ground. This is completely inhuman,” said Mohit Bhan, youth general secretary of the PDP.
Most of the regional political parties of the Union Territory have raised their voice against the government order. Parties like PDP, National Conference and People’s Conference have expressed dismay over the government order to take back the land. This whole idea of reclaiming state land in a rural setting is dangerous. When will these crazy experiments backed by ugly musculature end. The occupation of state land in villages by the residents of a particular village is a generational custom and an unchanging reality. This practice is prevalent in the rest of the country. covers a large percentage of the population. You cannot make them homeless,” said Sajjad Lone, People’s Conference.
”The National Conference is very clear that encroachments are not acceptable, but the land of the state belongs to the people. If government has passed any order then do they have any option for these people. The SC judgment in two cases recently asked for an option for the people till such steps are taken. This is completely wrong and harassment of the local people of J&K. Sometimes I wonder if BJP is going to contest elections in J&K, here they have such anti-people attitude. And make it clear that this order is going to affect the poor people of the Union Territory. While the rich may find ways to fight the order, it is the poor who will suffer the most,” said Ifra Jan, spokesperson, National Conference.
However, the BJP has welcomed the state’s order to take back the government land. He termed it as a step which is in the interest of the poor people of the Union Territory.
”Land recovery should start from Nava e Subh Complex, Khidmat Trust, 32 former ministers and other land mafia. There is no mercy on those who looted the land of the state, the government should ensure strictest punishment to the land grabbers.
“It is good that the UT administration has asked all deputy commissioners to remove all encroachments from state and community (Kahchrai) lands. It is surprising that most of the land grabbers are the ones who ruled the state. This National Conference (NC) ) ), Congress and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Even senior leaders of these political parties including Chaudhary Zulfikar and Sajjad Ahmed Kitchlu are named in the list,” senior BJP leader and party’s JK Spokesperson Altaf Thakur said.