Gujjar, Bakerwal communities hold protests against Jammu and Kashmir minister

SRINAGAR: Members of Gujjar and Bakerwal community led by Congress today staged a protest here against Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Forests Bali Bhagat alleging that he was evicting people of the communities from forest lands.

"The minister's move to evacuate the innocent Gujjar and Bakerwal population from their homes, where they have been living for the past more than 50 years, is a deep-rooted conspiracy to create communal tension," Shahnawaz Choudhary, general secretary, Pradesh Congress Committee, who led the protesters, told reporters.

He alleged the PDP-BJP coalition was anti-people and had no concrete policy for the welfare of the people of the state.