Various political parties based in Kashmir and Jammu have demanded the rollback of the property tax announced by the Jammu Kashmir admin on Tuesday.
Former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir Omar Abdullah took to his Twitter and said that taxation without any local assembly is unacceptable.
Taking to his Twitter, Omar Abdullah said, “No Taxation Without Representation. Why should people in J&K pay state taxes including the proposed property tax when we have no say in how our government is run & no say in the decision-making of J&K. We are expected to be mute spectators to all unjust decisions by Raj Bhavan.”
Srinagar’s Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu condemning the order said, “Imposition of Property Tax in J&K is ironically violative of municipal empowerment as this has neither been deliberated upon, nor approved by elected ULBs. While SMC will explore ways to contest this arbitrary move, I am writing to the Hon’ble LG seeking a withdrawal of the SO.”
Mohammed Amin Bhat, a former legislator from south Kashmir said that the decision of imposing tax on a region that is undergoing political turmoil for the last thirty years is barbaric.
“The order will not go easy with people. Everyone in Kashmir will be impacted. Our Party (DAPP) has planned a meeting against the order. Like the eviction drive order, people need to resist this and it too will stop,” he said.
Demanding the rollback of the administration’s order, a protest march was taken out in Jammu where protesters also burnt the effigies of the Bhartiya Janta Party. “The poor are yet to come out of the trauma of bulldozers and smart metres and another discriminative order of tax imposition has been imposed upon people of Jammu Kashmir,” a protestor said.
The Chairman of People’s Conference in a tweet said that the admin he was against the imposition of tax on Jammu Kashmir residents. “Government has come up with a detailed clarification on property tax. I still say No. Not the time to tax. BUT 👍 to whoever came up with this rare idea of explaining the concept with humility. From an admin which is otherwise disdainfully arrogant and unambiguously detestable,” Sajad Lone tweeted.