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Anti-encroachment drive: Part of NC leader wife’s house demolished in Srinagar
A senior revenue officer said several notices were issued to the owner of the particular land for removal of encroachment as it belongs to the state
J&K government officials on Wednesday razed a part of the house belonging to the wife of National Conference (NC) leader and former minister Ali Muhammad Sagar at Humhama in Budgam.
The property, which is located close to the Srinagar airport, was partially demolished as it was built on encroached area, said an official involved in the exercise.
A senior revenue officer said several notices were issued to the owner of the particular land for removal of encroachment as it belongs to the state. “The area where demolition was carried today is a state land. We have vacated 1,000 kanals of such land in the past one week,” he added.
The Budgam house is registered in the name of Saleema Bano, wife of Sagar, who is NC’s general secretary. The Sagar family has claimed that they possess all documents related to the land.
Among the razed parts were the front wall, a portion of the guard room and the entrance gate. At the time of the demolition, nobody from the Sagar family was present in the house, except some security persons and domestic helps.
‘A political vendetta’
Salman Sager, son of Saleema and Ali Muhammad, termed the demolition illegal, driven by a “political vendetta”.
“This land is registered in my mother’s name. We have proper documents of three kanals and 18 marlas of land. When the officials of demolition squad came, all of us were outside UT for a medical emergency. We didn’t get any notice regarding demolition of our property,” said Salman, who is also a former Srinagar mayor.
He also claimed that for the past four years, his family was being pressured to leave the National Conference. “We will approach the courts because we have legal documents of the land,” he added.
NC spokesperson Sarah Hayat Shah said, “It was a pre-planned move. They didn’t even allow the belongings to be taken out. No notice was ever served. If this isn’t political vendetta, then what is?” she questioned.
“JKNC condemns the dismantling of the outer wall at Party General Secretary @AliMSagar_’s house at Humhama. Such actions of the govt. clearly smack of political vendetta, and the misusage of govt. machinery for the same,” the NC tweeted.
The government had on the court directions started removal of encroachments from the state land across J&K and set a deadline of January 31 for completing the exercise. However, the demolition drive has been sharply criticised by the leaders of mainstream political parties.
BJP state spokesman Altaf Thakur said if Sagars have legal documents, they should contact officials. “We appreciate the government action against land grabbers,” he added.
