- “Who is running JDA—elected Govt or Hidden Hands?”, questions Tony
Jammu: Senior Congress leader and DDC Suchetgarh Taranjit Singh Tony on Saturday issued one of the strongest statements yet on the demolition of journalist Arfaz Daing’s house by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), calling it a “brazen act of suppression aimed at silencing a truthful journalist.”
Tony, after visiting the affected journalist and inspecting the demolished structure, said the incident exposes “a dangerous pattern of using government machinery to intimidate those who speak against corruption and nexus within the system.” He said Arfaz had been reporting fearlessly on issues involving police, administration and bureaucratic irregularities, and the demolition appeared to be retaliation for his work.
Tony strongly praised the act of Taniya Sharma, daughter of Kuldeep Sharma, who donated a 5-marla plot to Arfaz after his house was razed. Calling her gesture “a slap on the face of those dividing society on Hindu–Muslim lines,” Tony said Taniya had shown more humanity and courage than those occupying high offices. “Her action stands taller than the attitudes of chief ministers and lieutenant governors who remain silent when injustice happens in front of them,” he remarked.
In a fiery statement, Tony demanded to know who issued the demolition order. “Omar Abdullah says the elected government never approved this. Ravinder Raina says the LG never ordered it. Then who gave JDA the authority to bulldoze a 40-year-old house?” he questioned. Tony said the administration must disclose whether the demolition was done to please someone, or whether JDA acted at the behest of hidden interests.
The Congress leader also targeted the internal divisions within the press community. “Journalists with titles like Dogra, Hinduatni, etc, etc who claim to be protectors of Dogra identity, Hindustani identity, national identity—where were they when Arfaz’s home was brought down?” Tony asked. He accused certain journalist associations of sitting in the lap of bureaucracy and avoiding any confrontation with the administration. “Not a single dharna, not a single statement, not a single visit to the affected journalist. This is not journalism—this is godi media doing the cleaning of the ruling establishment and made president of Press Associations,” Tony said.
He added that selective demolitions expose an attempt to silence those who reveal uncomfortable truths. According to him, if Arfaz’s home of four decades was truly illegal, the administration must explain how electricity, water and other services were sanctioned for so many years. “Either the structure was legal and this demolition is illegal, or the officers who gave these connections for decades are accountable. You cannot have it both ways,” Tony asserted.
Tony demanded that the government immediately allot a 5-marla plot to Arfaz Din as compensation and called for a Special Housing Society for Journalists in Jammu to ensure that no reporter is left vulnerable to administrative targeting. “If journalists can be punished for exposing corruption, democracy becomes a mockery. I will raise this issue at every forum until the truth is revealed and justice is delivered,” he declared.
Ending his statement, Tony said “Arfaz’s home was not just demolished; an attempt was made to demolish the truth. But truth will stand, and we will stand with it.”