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People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone terms Rajouri incident ‘reprehensible’
People’s Conference chairperson Sajad Lone termed the death of two civilians outside an army installation in Rajouri “reprehensible”
People’s Conference (PC) chairperson Sajad Lone on Sunday termed the death of two civilians outside an army installation in Rajouri “reprehensible”.
“Rajouri killings are reprehensible. It is a mirror, this may be new there, but here it has been going on. It is shameful,” he said, addressing media persons as he welcomed National Conference’s youth zonal president Samir Iqbal from Bandipora into the PC fold.
Castigating the government for the sealing of Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) properties in Kashmir, Lone said the administration was showing its “hubris of power” and that their actions were proof of them viewing Kashmiris as “the others”
Two civilians – Surinder Kumar and Kamal Kishore, both residents of Falyana in Rajouri town – were shot dead and a third was injured on Friday morning near the gate of an army facility in Jammu’s Rajouri town.
‘Govt saying we are separate from Kashmiris’
Lone also lashed out at the government for sealing of JeI properties in Kashmir saying the government considers itself separate from the Kashmiri people.
“I think on sealing of properties, nations are known for their magnanimity. States are magnanimous. In J&K, particularly in Kashmir, the administration considers itself separate from us (Kashmiris). It considers itself and us as two separate entities,” he said.
‘Govt making separate land, lease rules against Kashmiris’
Lone also briefly addressed the new land grant rules introduced in the union territory, saying, “Outside of Kashmir, there are separate laws. If somebody has invested in infrastructure on a land , the first choice should be whether he wants to keep the land or not. In the rest of the country and even outside, lease laws are proper and specific. You can’t just tell people to evict.”
“Similarly (Family) identity cards should also be the same as in the rest of the country. Government should rethink what they are doing. The ‘othering’ of Kashmiris, its the government doing it, not us,” he said.
Politicians, businesses and trade stakeholders have come out against the new land grant rules in the union territory under which those leasing government lands will be evicted as there will be no renewal of their contracts.
