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| Kashmiron sale: NC calls for Saturday Bandh | | |
SRINAGAR , NOV 24
Calling for a strike on Saturday to protest the leasing of land in Gulmarg's Dhobi Ghat area, JK's main opposition party National Conference has termed the land lease a "clandestine effort" to transfer the control of Jammu and Kashmir into the hands of non-state subjects.
Addressing a news conference in here today, leader of the opposition in JK's Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather challenged the government for an open debate any time over the land lease issue and also said that if the coalition government succeeds in convincing its former minister, Ghulam Hassan Mir and congress leader Abdul Gani Wakeel, he shall also concede his position.
"We call for a strike and people should come on to the roads against the decision," Rather said. When told that Syed Ali Shah Geelani had also called for a strike on the same day, Rather said, "If Geelani sahib says something just, we support him."
Questioning the competence of state government, Rather said "It is difficult to understand what the priorities of the government are as they have no tourism policy. Why should leasing of land at Gulmarg be undertaken first?"
Rather said that Kashmiris have the expertise in tourism business and are competent enough to build hotels and other facilities. He said that there was no need to invite outsiders in the tourism business.
Alleging People's Democratic Party of having prepared ground for the sale of Kashmiris' land right from taking over power, Rather said that the first act amended by the coalition government was the Transfer of Property Act.
"Then there was this whole drama about the Women's Permanent Residence Bill which the government clandestinely suppressed in the state assembly. Earlier it (Government) withdrew the petition related to the issue from the Supreme court without consulting the opposition parties," Rather said. "When we tried to table the bill in legislative assembly, they employed Dar to suppress it there as well. We moved a resolution against Dar but they supported him," rather added emphasizing that the sale of Kashmiris' land is taking place under a plan being hatched over a period of four years since PDP-Congress coalition came to power.
"It is a hidden agenda on which they are working," stated Rather, adding that the people of the state should be vigilant and vibrant as the coalition government "can not be trusted".
Rather, however, failed to provide a reason why a hotel was leased out to a non-state subject in 1999, the deal being facilitated by the Farooq Abdullah Government.
In response to a query that why National Conference passed the Land Grants Bill in 1978, Rather said that it was the need of the hour to undertake the development of the state and the bill meant to invite foreign investment in industries sector only.
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