J-K Police seal PDP office in Srinagar, detain workers protesting against new land laws
Oct 29, 2020
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 29 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police sealed the Srinagar office of People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday and detained its workers protesting against the new land laws and ongoing NIA raids on six NGOs and trusts.
Taking to Twitter, Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said that the PDP won't tolerate attempts to change the Jammu and Kashmir demographics.
"The PDP office in Srinagar sealed by Jammu and Kashmir administration and workers arrested for organising a peaceful protest. 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," asked the former chief minister on Twitter.
Mufti said that many of her party workers were arrested for protesting against settler-colonial land laws "thrust" upon the people of the newly created Union Territory.
"PDP's Waheed Ur Rehman, Khurshid Alam, Rouf Bhat, Mohsin Qayoom and Mohit Bhan were arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police for protesting against the settler-colonial land laws thrust upon (the) people of Jammu and Kashmir. We will continue to raise our voice collectively and won't tolerate attempts to change demographics," she tweeted.
"Many others like Tahir Sayeed, Yasin Bhat, and Hameed Kohsheen also arrested. A government desperate to curb any kind of dissent and ready to crush its own people but all the machismo disappears when it comes to fighting China at the LAC (Line of Actual Control)," she said in another tweet.
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 (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020.
By the order, the Centre has repealed or made changes in 26 state laws.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has repealed 12 state laws as a whole, including the Jammu and Kashmir Alienation of Land Act, Jammu and Kashmir Big Landed Estates Abolition Act, Jammu and Kashmir Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1956, Jammu and Kashmir Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1962, Jammu and Kashmir Right of Prior Purchase Act, and Jammu and Kashmir Utilisation of Lands Act.
The MHA stated, "In exercise of the powers conferred by section 96 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019), and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, the central government hereby makes the following order... the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of Central Laws) Third Order, 2020."
