Congress stages protest against bulldozer drive, delay in restoration of statehood, elections in J&K

Sunderbani, Feb14 : Congress today held a strong protest against the bulldozer drive and delay in restoration of statehood and early elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lodging strong protest over delay in restoring statehood and holding early elections but resorting to eviction drive, bulldozing especially small farmers and poor people , holding small chunks of state lands under their cultivation for decades ,the protestors threatened a sustained andolan if genuine cases are not spared and their lands not regularised, as per scale. .

Leading the protest against the move to evict all occupants irrespective of their economic status ,profession and claims over the land besides delay in restoration of statehood and assembly elections, Ravinder Sharma former MLC and chief Spokesperson JKPCC lashed out at the bulldozer drive without affording due opportunity to put up their claims.

The protestors raised slogans against the LG administration and BJP government at the centre, and strongly opposed eviction of small farmers and poor people who are cultivating for decades &demanded immediately restoration of statehood and reestoration of democracy.

He said lack of elected government has brought large scale miseries to common people & demanded a fair, just and rational policy be framed to regularise the land of poor and common people while favouring evictions of land grabbers who have illegally usurped large chunks of surplus lands in connivance with corrupt revenue officials.

Earlier addressing the gathering Ravinder Sharma cautioned against coercive action against small and petty farmers and other poor people who are in cultivating possessions for decades and have constructed houses and shelters .

The livlihood of majority of farmers and other poor people are dependent upon the agricultural land and other sources of income for long durations and uprooting them in inhumane and injustice, without adopting a fair policy. He referred some selective actions against poor people and demanded compensation for them.

Accompanied by the functionaries of block Congress and youth Congress Sharma threatened to launch agitation if coercive action is initiated against poor and farmers. He said that all previous governments framed rules and laws to settle the poor, landless and farmers especially tillers but this government directly under BJP led centre, is uprooting them. He alleged two yardsticks for common people and for BJP leaders, which is unfortunate.

Senior Congress Leader also lashed out removal of Lambardars and chowkidars, as a whole, who were sincerely discharging their duties on meagre honorarium according to him.