Ruhullah questions Altaf Bukhari’s stand on land purchases

Srinagar, Sep 29: National Conference Member Parliament Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Tuesday questioned Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari’s recent concerns over the alleged purchase of land in Jammu and Kashmir by outsiders, asking why the issue was not raised when Bukhari visited New Delhi following the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
“Why didn’t he remember this when he went to New Delhi after the abrogation of special status and compromised on this?” Ruhullah told reporters.
Ruhullah said that concerns over land, employment and demographic change had been raised by people immediately after the constitutional changes of 2019. He said the apprehension at the time was that the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including Muslims and Dogras, could face a loss of their identity and greater competition over land and employment.
“We were telling that after the abrogation people of Jammu and Kashmir, whether Muslims or Dogras, will lose identity. There will be deal and occupation of our land, jobs, there will be demographic change, and that’s why we are fighting and demanding restoration of Article 370,” he said.
His remarks came in response to Bukhari’s recent statements questioning the alleged purchase of land in Jammu and Kashmir by people or entities from outside the Union Territory.
Ruhullah sought to link the present debate over land ownership with the wider political dispute over the abrogation of Article 370, arguing that concerns being raised today were among the issues cited by those who opposed the constitutional changes.
Taking a strong exception to what he described as a change in position by political leaders on the issue, Ruhullah said those whom he accused of compromising on the interests of Jammu and Kashmir would be judged by history.
“History will never forget these traitors,” he said. [KNT]