The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday lashed out at the central Government for its “double standards” on property ownership rights of citizens in various parts India.
In a press release, the SAD Senior Vice-President Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema came down heavily against the contradiction in allowing property ownership rights to outsiders in Jammu Kashmir and yet denying it to “farmers from Punjab in Gujarat and Rajasthan”.
Daljit was referring to the notification issued by the Central government on Tuesday allowing residents of any state to purchase urban land and immovable property in Jammu Kashmir. Earlier, only residents of the Himalayan state had that right.
“This smacks of strong communal prejudices. Isn’t it strange that while anyone can buy and own properties, including agricultural lands, in Punjab and now in J and K, where the country’s two main minority communities happen to be in a majority, Punjabis are denied the same rights in other states, notably in Gujarat and Rajasthan,” Dr Cheema said.
He wondered why no Indian citizen has the right to buy agricultural land in Himachal Pradesh, referring to the complications faced by non-natives on this front. “Is Himachal not an integral part of the country?” the SAD leader asked.