New land policy in J&K anti-people, draconian: Ghulam Ahmad Mir

Srinagar, Dec 18 (PTI) The new land policy in Jammu and Kashmir is “anti-people and draconian” and should not be implemented, senior Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said on Sunday.

Mir, the former Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president, made these comments while addressing booth-level delegates at Damhal Khushipora in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir.

The remarks came in the wake of land lease holders in Jammu and Kashmir being asked to return the possession to the government.

“This indicates that the land leased out decades ago will have to be surrendered on the expiry of lease which is being justified under the garb of using the same for development of J-K Union Territory, but the law is anti-people, draconian and should not be implemented,” Mir alleged.

He said J-K is witnessing “assaults frequently” on resources, especially jobs and land, by the enactment of different “undesirable” laws after downgrading the full-fledged state.

“However, the concocted and misleading propaganda will not deter the Congress from fighting against the wrong policies adopted by the BJP in J-K,” he said.

The former minister said it has become a “routine to intimidate people and target the resources” under the garb of new laws.

“The Congress will neither remain mute spectator to such measures nor compromise on the people’s rights,” he added.

The BJP is “hell bent” upon to defame the Congress and aims to “mislead people” on various counts, he said.

“But the facts remains they (the people), not only in J-K but across the country, have realized that the BJP is fabricating stories against the Congress aiming to hide its inability and failures on all counts besides trying justify its wrong policies under the garb of targeting the party”, he said.

Mir accused the BJP of “deliberately delaying” elections in the Union Territory to make the people “unheard and unpresented” at every forum.

It is very unfortunate that people are being denied their democratic rights in Jammu and Kashmir despite making tall claims on the prevalence of peace and stability by the Centre, he said.

Later, speaking to reporters, the former JKPCC chief said the party’s ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra will reach J-K in the last week of January.

Apart from the main issues, the yatra will also highlight the demand for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and land and job rights for its residents, he said.