Protests against eviction drive in UT; Azad meets Home Minister

PTI

Jammu, February 2

Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad has sought intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah against the ongoing land eviction drive in J&K where aggrieved people continued their protests at different places on Thursday.

The National Conference and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also demanded an immediate end to the drive, while the J&K BJP requested the Lieutenant Governor-led administration to restrict the campaign to politicians, police officers and bureaucrats who have “misused” their power in the past to grab the land.

Azad called upon Amit Shah in New Delhi on Wednesday and apprised him about “serious unrest and uncertainty” prevailing among the people in J&K due to the eviction drive launched by the administration to remove encroachments on state land, including Kahcharai land and that granted under the Roshni Act, the DAP said in a statement here. “The Home Minister assured Azad that small land holders will not be harassed,” the statement read.

While thousands of people continued their protests in Kunjwani-Bhatindi area on the outskirts of Jammu city for the fourth successive day against the eviction notices, members of the Jammu Kashmir Kissan Tehreek, led by CPM leader MY Tarigami, staged a protest in Kathua.

Tarigami said the J&K people needed to come together against the “anti-people policies” of the government.

J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina said, “We welcome the land eviction drive against influential people like politicians, bureaucrats and police officers who have misused their power to grab the state land in the past. But poor should not be made to suffer.” Raina alleged that land grabbers were provoking the people to hold protests against the drive to save their skin.

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