Giving exclusive powers to army to occupy land in JK is by no means a healthy sign: G A Mir

Srinagar, Oct 31: Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir on Saturday said that the Government’s move to give exclusive powers to Army to occupy land in the erstwhile state of J&K is by no means a healthy sign.
Mir, while addressing the media persons, in Srinagar after attending the function here at party headquarters said that the Congress opposes the move to give exclusive powers to Army.
“When in a democratic country the defence forces are in support of the civil administration, but here indications are that we are under their direct control of the Army, though we are not against the Army,” he said adding that we have spoken out against such steps time and again.
“Such Indications are in no way healthy for a democratic set up,” Mir said.
Answering a direct question about Congress staying away from ‘People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’ Mir said that till now only meetings have taken place between the alliance members, no concrete step towards the objective has been taken so far.”
“On the day of when the second meeting was supposed to be held, I was informed just 3 hours prior to the scheduled time, plus I was not in the town on the said date” he said.
Clearing his stand about the Alliance, Mir said, “We are with basic principles, which forced a formation of non BJP parties against the unparliamentary and unconstitutional decisions that took place on 5th August 2019.”
Mir further said, “We are with the basic principles of the Gupkar Alliance, but not with the grammar used sometimes by the Alliance members about the nation.”
Commenting on recently announced J&K land law by the central government Mir said, “The announcement of the law is against the assurances given by the ruling party on the floor of the Parliament that there will be no change in the demography of the state.”
“This is backstabbing of Jammu and Kashmir people and Congress condemns it,” he said.
People across all the 22 districts of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir are united against this law and Congress is committed to work for its ‘Go Back’ from a united platform. (KDC)