Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday detained half a dozen people, including an elected District Development Council (DDC) member, two days after violence broke out during a demolition drive against “illegal structures” in Jammu’s Malik Market and Bathindi areas. A street demonstration was also held in Srinagar by members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) against the “anti-encroachment drive” of the lieutenant-governor’s administration.
Official sources said Mahraj Malik, a DDC member from Doda and associated with the Aam Aadmi Party, was taken into custody for questioning in Jammu. Mr Malik was accused of delivering a speech at the spot where the violence broke out.
‘Inquilab Zindabad’ legal
“There should be no media trial for Mr. Malik. Inquilab Zindabad The slogan is within the limits of the rights conferred by the Constitution. The slogan expresses anger against the moves of the system. Let the court decide whether Mr Malik’s speech was inflammatory or was within his fundamental right,” an AAP spokesperson said in Jammu.
At least eight local people have been arrested during the police investigation into the stone pelting case against officials and security forces.
BJP and Shiv Sena workers protest on the road against stone pelters in Jammu. A BJP leader said, “These stone pelters have come to Jammu from Kashmir.”
“A Special Investigation Team (SIT) should launch a probe against revenue officials who have changed the revenue records of state lands and sold them to people. The ownership of state lands has been changed to private. We demand an inquiry against the revenue officials- Patwaris, Girdawaris and Tehsildars who tampered with the records. We want action against them.
In Srinagar, hundreds of PDP leaders staged a street protest against the LG administration’s ongoing drive to evict local people from ‘state’ land. They demanded that the bulldozers should be stopped as “the poor local people have a right on the land”. AAP members also protested in Srinagar and urged the LG administration to spare the poor people.
CPI(M) leader MY Tarigami said the eviction drive has created fear and anger among the people. “With officials running earthmovers everywhere, the administration’s claims of not touching the common people have turned out to be a farce. There is a complete disconnect between what the administration says and what it does,” Mr. Tarigami said.
According to an official estimate, since January this year, more than 20,000 hectares of ‘state’ land had been taken back from local people, including politicians from the National Conference, PDP, Congress and People’s Conference.