Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference President and MLA Handwara, Sajad Lone and Apni Party President, Syed Altaf Bukhari have condemned the demolition drive.
“The news coming in from Sidra is disturbing to say the least. There have been demolitions yet again. Can the government please for once treat the matter with seriousness that it deserves and explain who ordered the demolitions. If it is not them then who. And what are they going to do about it,” Lone posted on X.
“Because I remember that this government enacted theatre of wailing and crying over demolitions in Jammu. And in the assembly when a question was asked, they defended the same saying all norms and procedures were followed,” he further wrote on X, adding, “I condemn the demolitions.”
Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari criticised the demolition drive in Jammu’s Sidhra on Tuesday, during which authorities demolished more than two dozen hutments and temporary structures, triggering protests by affected families who alleged that the drive was unjustified, ruthless, and biased against a particular community.
In his statement, Bukhari said, “The manner in which the Sidhra demolition drive was carried out is deeply concerning. How could the authorities allow such a brutal and arbitrary demolition of the residential dwellings?”
He further said, “Reports suggest that the operation continued for nearly four hours in an area largely inhabited by members of the nomadic Gujjar community, with homes and shelters demolished in a ruthless manner. Under what law can officials carry out such forced evictions without due process?”
“Many of the affected families claim they had been living there for years. If that is the case, the matter should have been handled with great care and strictly in accordance with the law and established guidelines,” he added.
Apni Party chief went on to say, “I have seen videos in which affected people clearly state that they were not even served prior notices before the demolition was carried out. If this is true, it raises extremely serious questions about the legality of the entire exercise.”
Expressing his concern over the allegations that the drive was conducted in a biased manner, targeting a particular community, Bukhari said, “The most disturbing aspect is the growing perception that this drive was carried out with bias, targeting a particular community. This may not be true, but even such a perception can damage our social fabric and the hard-earned peace and normalcy in the Union Territory.”
Urging Chief Minister to intervene into the matter, Mr Bukhari said, “I urge the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally intervene in this matter without delay, order a fair and transparent inquiry, ensure justice for the affected families, and take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents are never repeated.”
“After all, the fact remains that this so-called anti-encroachment drive was jointly carried out by the Forest Department, Forest Protection Force, and Revenue Department — all functioning under the elected government. Therefore, a government carrying a public mandate cannot evade accountability and responsibility for this disturbing action,” the statement added.
