Jammu-based politician and former minister Harsh Dev Singh was detained while holding a protest outside Governor House in Jammu against the forcible eviction of poor and small farmers, mostly Muslims, from their marginal land holdings. Harsh Dev Singh was arrested and detained in Ambphalla Police Post Jammu when he refused to end his sit-in on the very gate of Governor House, Jammu. He was sitting alone in front of the LG House when two others namely Parshotam Parihar and Sham Lal Choudhary joined him to express their solidarity with the protesting former minister. The three were detained and later released in the evening. Protesting outside the Governor House, Harsh Dev said that the encroacher BJP leaders were enjoying the patronage of the helmsmen while the poor and indigent farmers were bearing the brunt of the draconian move.

“The District and Tehsil administration are dispossessing only the poor and uninfluential while leaving the rich and powerful untouched,” he said. Accusing the LG administration of facilitating the encroachment of palatial mansions besides state lands, forest lands, JDA and Municipal lands by Ex- Ministers, MLAs and other saffron party leaders, Harsh Dev said that the double standards of the present dispensation would be vociferously opposed. He said that several BJP leaders were reported to have usurped public lands and govt properties besides having regularized state lands under Roshni scheme with no action initiated against them for reasons best known.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP