Land law row PDP office sealed; centre wants resources of J&K, says Mehbooba

Other states, UTs have acts to protect land, why not J&K: Omar

Jammu: The office of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was sealed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday and several workers arrested, who were protesting against the new land laws and ongoing NIA raids on six NGOs and trusts.
PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter and wrote that the workers were arrested for ‘organising a peaceful protest’. She asked, “A similar protest was allowed in Jammu so why was it thwarted here? Is this your definition of ‘normalcy’ that’s being showcased in the world?
Mufti further said that the PDP won’t tolerate attempts to change the Jammu and Kashmir demographics.
The central government recently paved way for any Indian to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir by notifying the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation.
Mehbooba Mufti further alleged that the central government has no love for the people but only wanted resources and land of Jammu and Kashmir.
"Everyday new directions were being passed by the Centre to pressurise people of J&K" she alleged and said "If they have that much of force why they do not throw out the Chinese who have occupied the Indian land in Ladakh".
The centre felt helpless in front of China and did not even dare to name that country, the former Chief Minister Mehbooba told reporters Thursday afternoon.
She said she was not allowed to meet his party leaders in police station Kothibagh, where they were detained. She alleged that many leaders were arrested from their houses during the night.
However, Mehbooba said she will not allow anyone to loot the land and resources in J&K.
" We are not Twitter politicians", she said adding “We will not stay silent and will make every efforts that nobody takes away our land and resources. We will not let it happen, she declared and said today they used force to stop us but next time this will not happen.
She said the Centre was misleading people and trying sell the abrogation of Article 370 in other parts of the country, where poor people are asking jobs and food. What a poor people will do by purchasing land in J&K, she questioned and alleged new land law was introduced only to benefit big and corporate houses.
She said people from our party in Jammu protested against the law on Wednesday and today we came out to protest here but the leaders were stopped and arrested. However, she reiterated her appeal for united fight against the alleged communal intentions of the centre.
Meanwhile, asserting that many states especially in the northeast have special laws relating to land ownership whereby people from other parts of the country cannot buy land there, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah questioned why Jammu and Kashmir could not have similar laws.
"There are many states like Himachal Pardesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland and union territories where no Indian can go and buy land even today," the former chief minister said.
"Why is it only us who become anti-national when we talk of these laws? Why are there no media debates when similar voices (for special provisions) are raised from other states?" he asked, addressing a function at the National Conference headquarters here.
He further said the "fight" is for protecting "our identity" for "our tomorrow".
Abdullah accused the BJP-ruled Centre of pushing to the brink the mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir who he said have come together in the battle to protect their land and identity.
"What do the Delhiwallas (Centre) want? Do they want us to leave the mainstream? We are battling to save our identity and land," he said.
Asserting that it was not a crime to seek constitutional rights through peaceful and democratic means, he said, "Today, there was a peaceful protest against the new (amended) land laws (by PDP) but it was not allowed. Are we wrong in seeking our right within the Constitution and peacefully?"
Abdullah said last year after the Lok Sabha elections, political parties had expected that assembly elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir.
"But today we are fighting for our identity. Shame on those of us who are still hankering after power. It is no more about power," he said.
About the formation of the People's Alliance, he said the Centre has been using "all kinds of tricks" to "weaken and divide us".
"I wish we had forged an alliance earlier. Maybe we could have avoided the situation (revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir)," he said, adding "Whatever we are facing today is because of that weakened voice. We were divided and they implemented their plan, our voice got weakened and they attempted to erase our identity".
He further said those making "tall claims about merging Jammu and Kashmir with India are still indulging in step-motherly treatment with us", saying the land amendments done earlier this week were an apt example for that.
The Centre had on Tuesday cleared the decks for people from across the country to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir by amending several laws, a move which mainstream political parties in the union territory said was akin to putting the erstwhile state up "for sale".