Srinagar, Oct 27: The newly formed alliance of top Jammu and Kashmir leaders as well as mainstream leaders condemned amendments in land laws of J&K UT.

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration in a statement issued by its spokesperson Sajad Lone condemned repeal of J&K Land Laws thereby stripping the Permanent Residents of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh of exclusive right to acquire and hold immovable property in the State – now unconstitutionally divided into two Union Territories and granting such rights to non State Subjects.

Terming the MHA Order as a huge betrayal, Sajad said that this is a massive assault on the rights of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and grossly unconstitutional. The Alliance has vowed to fight the anti Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh measure on all fronts.

“The repeal of Big Estates Abolition Act – first ever agrarian  reform in the subcontinent, is an insult to the sacrifices of thousands of freedom fighters and farmers who fought against an autocratic and oppressive rule and a crude attempt to rewrite history. The order made in exercise of powers under Reorganisation Act, 2019, it is stated, is yet another brazen violation of the principle of constitutional proprietary of fundamental importance to a constitutional democracy”, he added.

Sajad added that with a serious challenge to the 5th August 2019 decisions before the top Constitutional Court of the Country and the vires of Reorganisation Act under judicial scrutiny, the Central Government is under an obligation to desist from such acts, out of respect for the Apex Court.

“The unconstitutional measure is clearly designed as an attempt to preempt the outcome of the challenge before the Supreme Court. The assault on exclusive property rights apart, changes in urban development laws and creation of Security Zones is bound to prejudicially affect environment and ecosystem in environmentally fragile regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in utter disregard of grave environmental concerns” he added.

National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah called the newly introduced J&K Development Act as hostile to the interests of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

He said that the amendments to the land ownership law have put J&K up for sale. “With these new laws in place tokenism of the domicile certificate has been done away with as purchasing non-agricultural land has been made easier. These new laws are unacceptable to people of J&K, Ladakh,” he said.

He further added that the BJP remains unchallenged in the opportunistic politics and that the issuance of the amended land rules notification smacks of its cheap politics and deceit. “Interestingly the center waited till the elections to LAHDC had concluded and the BJP had won a majority before putting Ladakh also up for sale. This is what Ladakhis got for trusting the assurances of the BJP,” he said.

“The new laws are a consequence of the measures undertaken by the GOI on 5th of August without democratic bearings and much to the resentment and anger of the region’s populace. The measure reflects the wanton breach of trust of the people of J&K by a dispensation which is brewing with abhorrence for the diversity of the country and the democracy. The measures are also part of a larger design aimed to destroy the local, distinctive cultural identity of Kashmir thereby giving a ditch to the successive promises made by the successive central governments from time to time,” he said adding, “Such measures reveal that it is not the people’s aspirations which matters to the ruling dispensation at New Delhi, it is rather the land which they want to hold on and are interested in.”

Former chief minister and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti termed the amendment as an attempt to snatch the democratic right of people. She in a tweet stated that after abrogating Article 370, the government is paving way for the people outside Jammu and Kashmir to buy the land here.

CPI (M) senior leader and former MLA Kulgam, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami termed it a design to disempower the people of Jammu and Kashmir further.

“This is a design to disempower the people of J&K further and put their land on sale for corporations. It is daylight robbery of land in the name of integration, development and security,” Tarigami tweeted.