Srinagar: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator who created a stir in the ongoing session of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly by alleging that Kashmiris were land grabbers was put on notice in 2021 for allegedly encroaching land in Jammu.Vikram Randhawa, who won the 2024 assembly election from the Bahu assembly constituency, was served a notice by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) in 2021 for allegedly encroaching eight kanals of land (in khasra no 211) at Chak Ganeshu village in the Mandal tehsil of Jammu where a stone crusher plant has been set up.A copy of the JDA notice, issued by a tehsildar-ranked officer on July 19, 2021, circulated on social media in the aftermath of the BJP legislator’s accusations against Kashmiris in the house.Speaking with The Wire, Randhawa admitted to the existence of the JDA notice. However, he denied the allegations of encroachment that were amplified by senior Jammu-based advocate and activist Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed.Randhawa said the notice was the result of a dispute over land demarcation by J&K’s revenue department at Chak Ganeshu village. “My crusher plant is in khasra 212 and the land in question is in khasra 211. I am not in possession of even one foot of the JDA land,” he claimed.“I gave a legal reply to the JDA and they are satisfied. They have already fenced their portion of the land.”Asked whether the JDA has withdrawn the notice, he replied in the affirmative but refused to share a copy of the withdrawal letter. Randhawa disconnected the call when pressed and later didn’t respond to repeated attempts to reach him.JDA vice-chairman Rupesh Kumar refused to disclose the status of the notice served to Randhawa. “I can’t reveal this information over the phone. Whatever you require, please visit the office,” he told The Wire and hung up.The JDA served the notice to the saffron party legislator under sub-section 2 of section 6 of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1988.Section 6 empowers the estates officer of the JDA to remove unauthorised construction. Sub-section 2 states: “No person shall display or spread any goods.”The notice called on Randhawa, a resident of Jammu’s upscale Gandhi Nagar area, to remove the stone crusher plant from the illegally occupied land before July 28, 2021.“In the event of your refusal or failure to comply with this notice within the period specified above, the said goods/structure or work etc. shall be removed/sealed by the undersigned or the duly authorised and the cost of such removal shall be recovered from you as arrears of land revenue,” the notice on July 19, 2021 stated.The notice also mentioned that the plant had been set up “in contravention” of the provisions of sub-section 1 of section 6 of the J&K Public Premises Act while noting it “should be removed”.Subsection 1 notes: “No person shall erect or place or raise any building or any movable or immovable structure or fixture.”On Friday, Randhawa alleged during question hour in the J&K assembly that residents of the Kashmir valley were the predominant encroachers of JDA land in Jammu.“It is a matter of grave concern for the entire house. 16,212 kanals of JDA land is encroached in Jammu, of which 690 kanals is in my constituency and 90% of this land has been encroached by Kashmiris. It is a matter of shame and a sinister move to change the demography of Jammu,” Randhawa told the assembly.“I am sure the encroachers are among them also,” he said, pointing to the treasury benches. “That’s why they are all fired up. No task force has been set up to remove these encroachments.”The remarks triggered uproar in the house, with senior leader of the ruling National Conference and J&K minister Sakina Itoo reminding Randhawa that encroachment was illegal regardless of who was doing it and where.“In every issue, you bring in Jammu versus Kashmir. It is not a good thing. Why do you want to divide J&K on regional lines? If you have a question, ask, but why are you so interested in separating Jammu from Kashmir?” she said, as pandemonium broke out in the house.Advocate Ahmed claimed that the “mafia” in Jammu has grabbed 17,000 to 19,000 kanals of the JDA land with no action taken against the “crocodile and big fish”. “When the axe falls, it inevitably hits the poor people who have few marlas of land in their possession,” he said.Last year, the J&K government told the assembly that more than 20 lakh kanals of state and forest land have been encroached upon in the Union territory.“I want to congratulate him [Randhawa] for highlighting the issue [of land encroachment] effectively, but I also want to ask him why he hasn’t removed the stone crusher plant yet? Encroachers have no religion but I request Randhawa saheb to set an example for Jammu by clearing the encroachment,” he said.Following Randhawa’s statement, Peoples Democratic Party legislator Waheed Parra accused the BJP of “spreading politics of hate”.“Unfortunate statement. It’s aimed at stoking the politics of hate. The BJP earlier closed a medical college, sought separate Statehood for Jammu and thrashed shawl sellers outside. People of J&K have the right to live wherever they want in J&K. The PDP had been seeking regularisation of land irrespective of faith in J&K. No one should be made homeless,” he said.