Peoples Democratic Party Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre of looting resources and land in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti spoke to reporters after police detained several PDP leaders including party spokesman Suhail Bukhari at the party headquarters in Srinagar to prevent them from staging a protest against the repealing of land laws in J&K that paved the way for all citizens of India to buy land in Jammu and Kashmir.
The order to repeal land laws was issued by the Centre on October 27.
Article 370 that was revoked by the BJP on August 5 last year had barred outsiders from buying immovable property in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mufti said that the PDP staged a protest in Jammu on Wednesday against the repealing of land laws, but the same was not allowed in Srinagar.
“Yesterday, the administration allowed a protest by PDP against the repealing of land laws in Jammu but a similar protest was disallowed in Srinagar,” she said.
She added that she was stopped from meeting her detained workers.
“Why don’t you allow anyone to talk here? Their (Centre’s) intention is purely communal,” she said. “If you are powerful, go and evict China who have martyred our soldiers and captured our land in Ladakh.”
Mufti pointed out that when people protested in Ladakh they were flown to Delhi for talks. But now they, too, repent for having trusted Delhi.
She further said that when poor people ask for jobs and food, they are told to buy land in Kashmir.
Mufti warned that the government shouldn’t think that their outrage is limited to social media.
“We are not Twitter politicians. We will come on roads,” she said.
Mufti said that the administration is making fresh announcements every day such as repealing of land laws, domicile law and the decision to retire any government employee after 22 years of service.
The people of Jammu and Ladakh, too, have realised the essence of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, an alliance of six regional parties for the restoration of Article 370, she further said.
“It is time for a united battle against the government of India for its anti-J&K policies.
“I am not going to sit idle and will fight the Centre’s open loot in J&K. They are stealing our resources,” she said.
She further alleged that the repealing of land laws in Jammu and Kashmir is an election stunt due to polls in Bihar and later in West Bengal.
