Ghulam Nabi Azad meets Amit Shah as protests intensify in J&K over eviction of locals from ‘State’ land

Amid growing protests over the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor administration’s ongoing eviction drive of locals from alleged encroached ‘State’ land, Democratic Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad has raised the issue with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and sought his intervention. The DAP leader apprised Mr. Shah about the situation of serious unrest and uncertainty prevailing among the public at large in J&K due to the circular of eviction issued by the UT administration, directing all Deputy Commissioners to remove the encroachments on State land, including Roshni and Kacharai, a DAP spokesman said. ‘Drive unjustified’ Rattan Lal Gupta, provincial president of the NC, said the so-called anti-encroachment drive had led to chaotic situations all across the region, “with people getting frightened over the uncertainty about their future”. “The drive is totally unjustified and should be stopped at the earliest because the government has no right to snatch away people’s homes and business establishments in such an arbitrary manner leaving the poor state subjects helpless and devastated,” Mr. Gupta said, while urging the L-G to intervene in the issue and ensure justice to the poor.