Jammu and Kashmir: Protest held against eviction drive near Srinagar's Lal Chowk

The JK All Alliance Democratic Party held a demonstration here on Wednesday against an eviction drive launched by the Jammu and Kashmir administration to allegedly retrieve state land from encroachersLed by Rakib Ahmad the protesters assembled near the Pratap Park on Residency Road raising slogans against the Union Territory administrationTerming the eviction drive antipeople and antipoor the protesters demanded that it be stopped immediatelyAlso readMumbai 27 groups urge Police to stop right wing rally aimed at inflaming communal tensionsThey tried to march towards the Lal Chowk but were stopped by policeMeanwhile Democratic Azad Party chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday cautioned the Jammu and Kashmir administration against its ongoing antiencroachment drive saying the hartal and stonepelting culture is likely to return if homes and small shops are demolishedThe eviction drive has resulted in corruption as people were paying bribes to revenue officials to ensure their names do not feature among those who have encroached on state land the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir allegedAzad thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for their assurances of not harming the poor population but demanded that an official order should be issued to provide relief to the distressed peopleThe government has done certain good things like ending the culture of hartal and stonepelting in Kashmir It is a positive thing which has happened but if they start demolishing homes and small shops there is a likelihood that hartals and stonepelting will return and the government itself will be responsible for it the DAP chief told PTI hereHe said the government should not do anything which will end up spreading negativity as lakhs of people have been served notices asking them to vacate their homes and wind up their businessesEarlier the people were responsible for hartals and stonepelting but now if the same thing happens again the government will be directly responsible The government must encash on positivity rather than spreading negativity Azad saidHe also suggested that the government should stop the drive as it is a loss for it as well as the poorI am not speaking for big land owners businessmen politicians or thieves land grabbers If this drive is stopped 98 per cent of the poor will be benefited My only aim is that the homes of the poor and their small businesses remain intact so that they can earn their livelihood in a peaceful atmosphere Azad saidThe DAP leader said the government should take a decision immediately in the interest of peace and issue an order to put an end to the eviction drive against the poorThe drive has also generated corruption Patwaris tehsildars and other revenue officials are taking bribes from people to ensure that their names are not listed among the encroachers It revenue department has become a den of corruption he allegedOn allegations that the drive was discriminatory and those associated with the BJP were not touched Azad said Anyone who has done wrong whether he is from BJP Congress NC PDP or Apni Party should face the lawHarassing the public or indulging in pick and choose will go against the government It will create disharmony and the situation is bound to return to the likes of the 1990s he saidElections assembly have not taken place for a very long time unemployment is on the rise and inflation has skyrocketed We need to provide such an atmosphere where people can breathe easy but they are having sleepless nights in their own country Azad addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever