After a senior minister raised objections to the demolition of houses during the ongoing anti-drug drive in Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Khurshid, MLA from Langate, distanced himself from the 100-day ‘Nasha Mukht J&K Abhiyan’ and boycotted Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s anti-drug foot march in Kupwara on Wednesday.
The MLA did not attend the padyatra despite his constituency falling within the Kupwara district, where the march was led by the Lieutenant Governor and attended by local legislators and members of civil society.
“We have not welcomed the 100-day Nasha Mukht J&K Abhiyan launched by LG Sinha. Neither I participate in any such programme nor will I participate,” Khurshid said.
LG Sinha had launched the campaign on April 11 to tackle the growing drug menace in Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, law enforcement agencies have arrested over 700 alleged drug peddlers and smugglers, demolished several houses allegedly linked to drug trafficking and attached properties worth crores of rupees.
Authorities have also recommended cancellation of passports of 15 alleged smugglers, besides seeking cancellation of around 300 driving licences and over 400 vehicle registrations linked to suspected drug networks.
Khurshid alleged that innocent people were being targeted in the name of the anti-drug campaign and rendered homeless even before courts had established their guilt. He questioned the legality of demolitions being carried out without court orders.
“A person is innocent till proven guilty in court,” he said, referring to a demolition in his constituency involving a person whose case has reportedly been pending for eight years.
The MLA also alleged that action was being focused on consumers and accused persons, while major drug peddlers continued to evade scrutiny. He demanded transparency in the campaign, including public disclosure of details related to recoveries, prosecutions and convictions.
Questioning the government’s priorities, Khurshid said the administration should first ban liquor sales in Jammu and Kashmir if it was serious about eliminating addiction. He claimed crores of rupees were being spent on anti-drug padyatras and suggested the funds could instead be used to build hospitals and rehabilitation centres for addicts.
During the padyatra in Kupwara, LG Sinha defended the campaign and said the administration was acting firmly against drug smugglers with public support. He said more than 730 smugglers and peddlers had been arrested so far and challenged critics to identify even one innocent person unfairly targeted during the drive.
Khurshid, however, maintained that none of the houses demolished under the campaign belonged to convicted persons and reiterated that bulldozing homes before conviction violated legal principles.
Earlier, Sakina Itoo, Education Minister in Jammu and Kashmir, had also raised concerns over the demolition of houses and attachment of properties during the anti-drug crackdown.
