‘Allow land ownership in HP too’

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal today reiterated his party’s commitment to “a strong and federal India with more powers to states” and demanded rights to buy land in Himachal Pradesh and other states that prohibit land ownership to outsiders.

Reacting to the abrogation of Article 370 removing special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Sukhbir, in a statement, said, “We believe strong states mean strong country. But we want these powers for all states, not just one or two, which is discriminatory."

He said his party wanted that minorities in every state must be guaranteed a secure environment in which they could live and prosper in an atmosphere free from fear and mistrust. “The SAD stands for provisions for the protection of minorities in every state.”

He rued that the Sikhs who had to leave the Kashmir valley in the wake of terrorism never received due compensation and relief. “Every Indian can rightly buy land or set up a business or industrial units in Punjab. But we cannot do the same in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and several other states. This amounts to a denial of a level-playing field within the country and it should be ended,” he said.