Regional parties in India's J&K protest against govt's state land retrieval order, BJP supports it

Srinagar, India

The People’s Democratic Party held a protest on Wednesday (January 18) against the LG administration of Jammu and Kashmir. The protest was held in PDP’s Srinagar office at the Sher Kashmir Park. Party members were demanding the rollback of government order regarding the retrieval of state land held by people in the Union territory. 

The Youth General Secretary of PDP Mohit Bhan was leading the protests and demanding the government to roll back the order. “The government’s directive is against the poor people who will be rendered homeless if this order is implemented on the ground. It’s totally inhuman,’’ said Bhan. 

Most of the regional political parties like PDP, National Conference and People’s Conference  in the Union Territory are against the government order and have expressed their disappointment over it.  

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“This whole idea of retrieving state land in rural settings is dangerous. When will these insane experiments backed by ugly muscularity end? Occupation of state land in villages by inhabitants is a generational practice and an irreversible reality. This practice is prevalent in the rest of the country. A sizable percentage of the population is involved. You can’t make them homeless,’’ said Sajad Lone, People’s Conference.

“The National Conference is very clear that encroachments are not acceptable, but state land belongs to the people. If the government has passed an order, do they have any alternative for these people. SC judgement is two cases recently called for an alternative for the people until such steps are taken. It is totally wrong and harassment of locals. Sometimes I wonder if the BJP is really going to fight elections in Jammu Kashmir, they have such anti-people approach here. And let’s be very clear that this order is going to affect the poor people of the Union territory. The rich might find ways to fight the order, it’s the poor who will suffer the most,’’ said Ifra Jan, spokesperson, National Conference. 

However, the BJP has welcomed the order of retrieving the government land. They have called it a step which is pro-poor people of the Union Territory. 

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‘’Retrieving of land must start from the Nawa e Subh complex, Khidmat Trust, 32 former ministers, and other land sharks. There should be no mercy for looting state land, the government must ensure stern punishment to land grabbers. It is good that UT administration has asked all the Deputy Commissioners to remove all encroachments from state and community (Kahcharai) lands. It is surprising that most of the land grabbers are those who ruled the state. May it be the National Conference (NC), Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Even senior leaders of these political parties including Chaudhary Zulfikar and Sajad Ahmad Kitchloo are named in the list, ‘’ said Altaf Thakur, senior BJP leader and party’s J&K spokesman.