Rejecting the allegations that former Chief ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah are unlawful beneficiaries of the Roshni scheme, a National Conference (NC) spokesman said on Wednesday that it is nothing but an attempt to mislead people at a time when DDC and ULB election process are underway.
The Party has sought necessary legal advice in relation to the same and is in the process of taking appropriate legal steps to safeguard its interests, he said.
He said the party has noted with concern the unfounded and unwarranted allegations being levelled against the Party and its President Dr Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah with respect to encroachment of land at Jammu and being unlawful beneficiaries of the Roshni Scheme.
The diatribe that has now reached an obnoxious level, it is important that the same are clarified by the Party, he said.
He said with respect to the land at Jammu on which the residential house of Dr Abdullah is built, all allegations are unequivocally denied.
It is also clarified that such land has nothing to do with Roshni scheme. The malicious nature of the allegations are laid bare by the fact that even though Mr Omar Abdullah does not own the land but actually lives with his father in Jammu as he does in Srinagar. Yet in order to hype up a frenzy, his name has been added to the list and released by the government.
The fact that DDC and ULB elections are underway, answers the timing and motive aspect of the allegations and nothing much needs to be added on that score. Needless to add that all questions pertaining to the land in question would be fittingly answered as and when they are called upon to do so by the concerned authorities, he said.
With respect to the office premises of the Party at Srinagar and Jammu, it is stated that the same were in the possession of the NC under lease and on the promulgation of the Roshni scheme, the party had also availed of the benefit of the scheme. Without affording the opportunity of hearing to any of the beneficiaries (including the party), the Act was declared to be unconstitutional.
Thousands of our citizens who had bonafidely sought benefit of the scheme, are now virtually deprived of their home and hearth for no fault of theirs and the administration instead of challenging the decision of the High Court, abdicated its duty and in a manner of unusual promptitude sought the implementation of the Judgment, the statement said.
It is surprising that while similar acts of conversion of leasehold property into freehold property on similar conversion charges is in vogue in other parts of the Country including Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra, yet the same legislative exercise in J&K was declared unconstitutional and the administration chose to do nothing about it.