Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP MLA Waheed Parra clashed over the issue of state land occupation in the UT Assembly on Tuesday.
Parra sought recognition of proprietary rights over state and Kahcharai lands.
Omar swiftly responded by saying the government cannot legalise the illegal occupation of state property.
Speaking in the Assembly, Omar asked Parra to withdraw the Bill. He said such a move would go against existing laws and land regulations. “We cannot legalise illegal occupation of state land,” he said.
Omar's remarks came after the PDP legislator refused to withdraw the Bill and accused the NC government of succumbing to political pressure despite a massive public mandate.
“You are rejecting it for your own policies. BJP calls it land jihad; don’t be afraid of them,” Parra told the House.
The exchange turned into a heated debate between the treasury and opposition benches. Parra argued that the Bill aimed to provide relief to people who have been living on or cultivating such lands for generations.
However, Omar maintained that despite considerations, the law and legal procedures could not be bypassed.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the issue of land rights needs to be dealt with through lawful means and that the government would not take any step that could encourage encroachment on state property.
During the feudal era, these lands were given to the people by NC founder and then Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah under the “land to the tiller” policy, before Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India in 1947.
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