Huge betrayal: J&K parties slam Centre move on land laws

All political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, except the BJP, have condemned the changes brought to its land laws by the Centre that essentially open up purchase of non-agricultural land to those from outside the Union Territory.

The mainstream parties that have joined forces to form the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration termed the amendments a “huge betrayal”.

Alliance spokesperson Sajad Lone said the move is “a massive assault” on the rights of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and “grossly unconstitutional”.

The alliance headed by National Conference president and Srinagar MP Dr Farooq Abdullah vowed to fight the “anti-J&K” measure on all fronts.

“The unconstitutional measure is clearly designed as an attempt to preempt the outcome of the challenge before the Supreme Court. The assault on exclusive property rights apart, changes in urban development laws and creation of Security Zones is bound to prejudicially affect the environment and ecosystem in environmentally fragile regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in utter disregard of grave environmental concerns,” Lone said.

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah tweeted, “Unacceptable amendments to the land ownership laws of J&K. Even the tokenism of domicile has been done away with when purchasing non-agricultural land & transfer of agricultural land has been made easier. J&K is now up for sale & the poorer small land holding owners will suffer.”

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti tweeted, “Yet another step thats part of GOI’s nefarious designs to disempower & disenfranchise people of J&K. From the unconstitutional scrapping of Article 370 to facilitating loot of our natural resources & finally putting land in J&K up for sale.”

The Congress said in a statement, “This is another betrayal of BJP with people of J&K, as time and again the people were assured that their right to land and jobs shall be protected at all costs, even post 370 abrogation.”

CPM’s M Y Tarigami said, “It is daylight robbery of land in the name of integration, development and security.”