Touching Waqf properties will have repercussions: Mehbooba

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba on Friday repeated her call for the government to review its policies which are being implemented rapidly and ‘without any regard to law’, ‘interests or sentiments of the people’, a party statement said.
There are reports that the J & K government is mulling on building a cancer hospital or a sports stadium in the Eidgah area of Srinagar.
She cautioned the administration over “fiddling” with the sentiments of the people of Kashmir and properties of the Muslim community.
Referring to the latest statements from the government and some waqf authorities on converting Eidgah for different kinds of facilities which are at cross purposes with the Wakf laws and the specific use for which land had been donated by Mir Syed Ali Hamdani to Muslims of Kashmir some 600 years back.
“The statements issued about Eidgah have hurt the sentiments of local Muslim populace and they are watching the situation with lots of apprehensions and anything done against the wishes of the people and denying the space to the locals for prayers and for whatever use they have traditionally been putting it to will be fraught with dangers.”
The PDP President asked the government not to test the patience of the people.
“But unfortunately, our advice isn’t heeded and the government is creating a pressure cooker kind of situation in the state, trying to hit the economic, social, cultural, religious and political interests of the people. There’s a limit to which people can take this daily dose of humiliation and deprivation, she said.
She said it seems the government has unleashed a war against the people, especially against the people of Kashmir and many areas of Jammu.
Mehbooba said this government has no representative character and no authority to take decisions on behalf of any community in the state, especially the Muslim community to which the Waqf properties belong.
Earlier talking to reporters, she questioned the J&K government reported plan on constructing a cancer hospital at Eidgah.
“Why to touch the land used for congregational prayers and why not to use the vast ‘Tatoo Ground’ land for the same purpose,” she said. (UNI)