Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 30: National Conference, Congress, J&K National Panthers Party and Jammu West Assembly Movement today strongly protested against the new land laws in the Jammu and Kashmir.
The leaders and activists of J&K National Conference led by its Provincial president, Devinder Singh Rana, senior leaders Ajay Sadhotra, S S Slathia, Rattan Lal Gupta, Javed Rana, Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, Bimla Luthra, Vijay Laxmi Dutta, Brij Mohan, Vijay Lochan and others assembled at NC Bhawan near Residency Road and held strong protest demonstration. They were strongly opposing new Land laws enforced in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir by the BJP Government.
They shouted loud slogans against BJP and J&K Administration and sought revocation of the new laws. They termed the new land laws as anti-people decision of the BJP led Government at the centre.
As the protesting NC activists were moving towards main Residency Road, a strong contingent of police and para military force stopped them. Their proposed protest march up to Raj Bhawan was foiled. The NC workers resisted the police action but the cops did not allow them to move ahead.
Addressing party workers Devinder Rana said that NC will oppose all the anti-people and anti-youth policies and works of BJP Govt. He said Maharaja Hari Singh enacted State Subject Law in 1927 and Sheikh Mohd Abdullah’s `Land to the tillers’ were a shield which ensued that everyone in J&K had a home to live and grain to eat and nobody was shelter less, nobody slept hungry. That protection should be provided to the people of Jammu and Kashmir particularly the poor, downtrodden and disadvantaged.
Terming the anti-people policies of the present administration as a betrayal of the people of Jammu in particular, Rana said time and again the people were assured by the State BJP leaders that their rights to land and jobs shall be protected at all costs, even after the abrogation of Article 370, but where have those assurances gone, Rana questioned the State BJP leaders.
Meanwhile, condemning newly notified land laws for Jammu and Kashmir, Pradesh Congress Committee, vice president and former minister, GM Saroori today accused BJP for selling J&K to outsiders for their pity political gains.
“They have destroyed the country and J&K which is considered as the crown of the nation. Generations of sacrifices kept the erstwhile J&K united as a State and the BJP sold it out to the outsiders forgetting that the people who voted them to power will lose their employment, land and statehood,” said Saroori while lodging protest alongwith workers in Inderwal area of Kishtwar today.
He said that the innocent people of J&K trusted a political party which has distorted history and the unity of the erstwhile state. “We will not allow loot of our resources and land of J&K. Now, people of both the regions have realized the divisive design,” said Saroori.
In his strong reaction, Saroori said that the Govt of India should roll back the land laws from J&K and provide protection of jobs and safeguards interests of the actual residents.
NPP chairman, Harsh Dev Singh while lambasting the BJP Govt for opening the jobs and lands of J&K to outsiders said that it was an insult to the vision of the legendary ruler of erstwhile state Maharaja Hari Singh. Not only had the BJP regime dismantled the oldest Dogra state and demoted it as UT, but it had deprived its people of certain special privileges envisioned by the late Maharaja for the welfare of his subjects especially those pertaining to lands and Jobs.
Addressing protesting party workers at Samba today, Singh pointed out that the state subject law had been conceptualized by the late Maharaja as far back as in 1927 and operationalized in the entire state so as to provide protection to the lands and jobs of the residents of J&K which had unfortunately been abolished by an unconcerned regime at the centre. While the new domicile law allowed entry into govt jobs in J&K for those outsiders who had spent a certain period of time in J&K, the new land laws had opened the entire J&K properties for sale with no PRC or even domicile law needed for the purpose, Singh said.
Asserting that new lands laws would operate more harshly against the Dogra land, Harsh Dev said that outsiders would prefer Jammu over Kashmir for acquiring lands in view of persistent disturbances and security threats in valley. Ex-MLA Yash Paul Kundal also spoke on the occasion.
Meanwhile, activists of Jammu West Assembly Movement today staged protest against the new Land laws in J&K. Sunil Dimple, president of the Movement this decision as anti-people and alleged that BJP has back stabbed the people of Jammu. He demanded that Government must review its decision.
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