Two former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti jointly mounted a fierce attack on the Central Government after police in Srinagar stopped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief from joining protests by her party workers against the new land laws on Thursday.
Several PDP workers were prevented by the police from taking out a protest march and the PDP office was sealed after detaining party workers.
Reacting strongly, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah lashed out at the Central Government asking if it wants political parties in the State to leave mainstream politics in Kashmir.
“What do you want from us? Do you want us to leave mainstream politics here?” former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asked.
He was reacting to the crackdown against the PDP workers in Srinagar.
Echoing similar sentiments PDP chief Chief Mehbooba Mufti alleged that the entire Jammu & Kashmir has been converted into a jail.
“PDP workers were peacefully protesting against land law passed by the BJP Government to loot J&K land. Our workers were arrested and I was not allowed to meet them. Neither civil society nor politicians can talk here, the entire J&K has been converted into a jail,” said Mehbooba.
Taking a dig at the Centre, Mehbooba commented, “We can’t sit silent on everything. If the Government is so powerful, they should take the land back from China, which has been grabbed in Ladakh. They aren’t able to take it back from them but will take our land. It is total lawlessness here”.
Earlier, the PDP chief also tweeted: “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?”
In another tweet, Mehbooba posted a video and said that the Jammu & Kashmir Police arrested PDP’s Khurshid Alam, Rouf Bhat,Waheed Ur Rehman Mohsin Qayoom and Mohit Bhan for protesting against the “settler colonial land laws thrusted upon people of J&K. We will continue to raise our voice collectively and won’t tolerate attempts to change demographics”.
Speaking at a party function in Srinagar Omar Abdullah also questioned the move, “the PDP workers were allowed to carry out a peaceful protest in Jammu on Wednesday but when they tried to do the same in Srinagar they were detained and taken to the police station”.
Speaking about the recent changes in the laws governing land ownership in J&K, Omar Abdullah said their fight was now for the identity and land of J&K.
“These special laws and status were given to J&K at the time of Maharaja Hari Singh,” Omar Abdullah said, and pointed out that leaders in Nagaland have refused similar laws.
He said now every mainstream party in J&K was on the same page. “We have been forced to get together and fight for our rights. We are not counting seats anymore. This fight is not about power or chief ministership. It would be shameful if we go after power. People will never forgive us if we do something like that. I wish this coming together of parties happened earlier. There are so many States where people from other parts of the country cannot buy land. If we are talking against this law, we are being called ‘anti-nationals’,” Omar said.
