Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Saturday called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to order an investigation into the demolition of a house belonging to the father of journalist Arfaz Daing in Narwal, Jammu, which was carried out by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA).
After visiting the family, Choudhary questioned how the action could have taken place without clearance from either the Lieutenant Governor or the Chief Minister, noting that the police involved functioned under the L-G’s authority and that the JDA vice-chairman was his appointee. He said that if the demolition was not ordered by the L-G, it was necessary to establish how officials went ahead without approval from the top authorities.
He reiterated that the elected government had no role in the action and maintained that the Omar Abdullah-led administration had not sanctioned the demolition. He also pressed for a formal probe to identify who gave the orders and demanded that the officers involved be suspended while the inquiry is underway, Indian Express reported.
Referring to claims by BJP leader Ravinder Raina that the Lieutenant Governor had denied issuing any such directive, Choudhary said call records should be examined to verify the assertion. He further asked the JDA vice-chairman to clarify who authorised the operation, adding that responsibility would be fixed on officials who acted without the Chief Minister’s consent.
The JDA had demolished the single-storey house of 72-year-old Ghulam Qadir Daing during an anti-encroachment drive in the Transport Nagar area on Thursday. Residents have said they have lived in the locality for nearly four decades and were not given prior notice.
Choudhary asserted that the elected government was “not weak, or helpless” and that it would not allow “selective” or “vindictive” measures, particularly against journalists or the poor, to be tolerated. He added that officials who acted without authority would be held accountable.