The Indian government is encouraging people from across the country to buy land or property in Jammu and Kashmir. The locals fear that this move is an attempt to engineer a demographic change in the state.  

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s government and state administration held a real estate summit in Jammu to speed up investment.  

If the mood & enthusiasm of the participants, members of @NaredcoNational & their office bearers at the inaugural session of J&K Real Estate Summit 2021 is to go by, Jammu & Kashmir is now on a path of development & is unlocking its hidden potential. @manojsinha_ @DrJitendraSingh pic.twitter.com/jmhazQfRrC

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) December 27, 2021

Locals and regional political parties have accused the government of “putting Jammu and Kashmir up for sale”. 

Historically, people who are not the natives of Jammu and Kashmir were barred from buying land or property in the state. But, this was changed after the Narendra Modi-led BJP government repealed articles 35A and 370 of the constitution, revoking special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir. 

In October 2020, a notification was issued permitting Indian citizens to buy land in the state. 

Under the new law, the criteria of being a permanent resident of the State has been omitted. 

However, despite these measures, land sales in the states are not picking up the pace. 

India’s Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai has said in the Parliament that only seven plots of land have been purchased in Jammu and Kashmir by non-residents since laws were changed.