Jammu journalist’s home demolition ‘not ordered by elected govt’: Deputy CM calls for probe

He also demanded suspension of the officers involved in the demolition of the house pending the inquiry.

Referring to the reported claim by senior BJP leader Ravinder Raina that he had talked to the L-G and the latter had denied having issued the demolition orders, Choudhary said call data records of the BJP leader’s mobile phone should be retrieved to find out the truth.

He also asked the JDA vice-chairman to reply as to who ordered the demolition, adding that the accountability will be firmly fixed on the officers responsible for the exercise as the same was carried out without the consent of the Chief Minister.

Ghulam Qadir Daing amidst the rubble of his home in Narwal, Jammu. (Express photo by Arun Sharma)

The JDA on Thursday demolished the single-storey house of 72-year-old Ghulam Qadir Daing during an anti-encroachment drive in the Transport Nagar area. The residents in the area claimed they had been living there for the past four decades and were not served any prior notice.

Pointing out that the elected government is “not weak, or helpless” and it will not allow “selective” or “vindictive” measures targeting journalists or the poor, Choudhary said the officers who came here and “acted without authority” will not be spared.

“We know our strength as we are elected by the people,” he said, adding that the CM has sought details of the case from the JDA.

Choudhary said he has come on the direction of the Chief Minister to tell the people, especially the residents of Jammu city, that “our government will never adopt cheap or revengeful tactics’”. “We believe in the principle of ‘live and let others live’. We believe in the Constitution,’’ he said.

“If you suppress the fourth pillar of democracy for speaking the truth, who is going to speak the truth,” he asked, adding, “If someone thinks they can run J&K with oppression and suppression, it will not last long.”

Reiterating the National Conference’s demand for restoration of statehood so as to end the dual power system in J&K, he said: “When we said that we were not allowed to work smoothly, this is exactly what we meant.” “The moment someone speaks the truth, action is taken against them,’’ he said, adding that “speaking the truth has become an offence”.

Praising Kuldeep Sharma, a neighbour who offered land to the affected family to rebuild their home, Choudhary said, “This is an example of brotherhood in Jammu, where, according to a legend, the lion and the goats once drank water together.”